Four academics at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) in Ekiti State, have secured a combined ₦89.964 million in National Research Fund (NRF) grants from the Federal Government to undertake innovative research aimed at addressing key socio-economic, educational and healthcare challenges.
The grants were awarded to the scholars for projects spanning unemployment, artificial intelligence in education, pharmaceutical innovation and biotechnology.
Among the beneficiaries is Prof Omotosho Babatunde Joshua, who received ₦19.964 million for his research project titled, “Towards Addressing Unemployment Situation in Nigerian Formal Labour Market.”
Dr Adeniyi Bolajoko Florence, a Reader in the Department of Educational Management, secured ₦20 million for her study, “From Chalkboards to Intelligent Systems: Comparative Analysis of Traditional and AI-Driven Teaching in Nigerian Federal Universities for Global Competitiveness.”
Also, Dr Ojo Stephen Kayode, a Reader in the Department of Microbiology, was awarded ₦21 million to develop innovative cosmetic formulations using fungal melanin for hair growth enhancement, follicle preservation and dandruff management.
The largest grant of ₦29 million went to Dr Adeleye Olutayo Ademola, a Reader in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, for his research on combating diabetic wounds through a natural remedy delivered with ethosomal hydrogel topical technology.
The awards further strengthen FUOYE’s growing reputation as a research-driven institution committed to producing innovative solutions to national and global challenges.
Reacting to the achievement, the Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Prof Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, congratulated the four academics for bringing honour to the university through their outstanding research accomplishments.
He described the grants as “a clear reflection of the high-quality research being carried out at the university” and evidence of the institution’s growing culture of scholarship and innovation.
According to him, the University Management remained committed to providing an enabling environment for cutting-edge research, innovation and academic excellence.
Professor Ogunwole expressed confidence that the funded projects would generate impactful findings capable of addressing pressing national challenges while enhancing FUOYE’s global visibility.
He added that the latest success underscored the university’s increasing ability to attract competitive national research funding and reinforces its commitment to promoting research that contributes to national development and global competitiveness.
