The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has presented a total of N5.450 million in grant to six undergraduate students from different departments in the university for research projects.
The Vice Chancellor, UniAbuja, Prof. Aisha Maikudi presented the cheque to the students at the 6th Undergraduate Research Day organised by the Centre for Undergraduates Research on Tuesday in Abuja.
The research day has its theme as: Promoting National Development Through Research.
Maikudi said that the event was an important platform that underscores the critical role of research in driving national development.
She said that UniAbuja was committed to fostering an environment where curiosity thrives, creativity flourishes, and innovation leads to solutions for societal challenges.
“This commitment aligns perfectly with our theme, Promoting National Development Through Research, which calls for purposeful inquiry and actionable outcomes.
“As undergraduates, you are the next generation of thought leaders and change-makers.
“Your involvement in research today prepares you not only for academic excellence but also for contributing meaningfully to our nation’s growth.
“Whether it is in addressing health challenges, advancing technology, enhancing governance, or ensuring sustainability, the solutions to our greatest national issues lie in the quality of ideas that emerge from platforms like this,” she said.
The vice chancellor said that the purpose the of research was not just to acquire knowledge but to transform it into progress for society.
She encouraged all participants to engage actively, collaborate effectively, and think boldly.
Maikudi said the university would continue to sponsor the students, saying their was need to catch them young. She advised the researcher to use the money for the purpose which it was meant.
The VC commended the centre and staff who mentored the students for their dedication to nurturing young minds and providing them with the tools to tackle real-world problems.
Similarly, the Director, Centre for Undergraduates Research, Prof. Taibat Atoyebi said the centre was established to promote research and create opportunities for undergraduate students across all departments in the university.
Atoyebi said the centre has helped students achieve and nurture their research potentials by building and developing their research skills to finding solutions to the challenges plaguing the society.
According to her, for a student to be eligible for grant, the student’s researches must be original, acceptable, practicable, sustainable and mentored.
She said that the researches were expected to cover areas such as; economic prosperity, food security, educational opportunity, quality health, climate change, environmental protection, among others.
The director said the goal of the centre was to foster growth that would have a lasting impact on our immediate community.
She explained that in preparation for the research day, twenty group of students expressed interest in the centre’s research grant.
“Thirteen teams were shortlisted to submit research proposals, and were given the opportunity to orally defend their proposals. Six research proposals scaled through and are being presented today.
“A total of N5.45 million is the total grant being awarded. We are currently receiving applications and proposals from interested group of students for the next batch of grant.
“We have modified our criteria to include sustainable development goals (SDGs), i.e our student researches must directly be traced to any of the SDGs and must be able to solve our pertinent societal needs, ” she said.
She said that research output from the proposal of the 6th research would be presented during the 7th research day in the second semester.
She thanked the vice chancellor for her support to the centre and also the mentors for their dedication.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the event was the presentation of cheque to the the six researchers.
