By John Odhe, YENAGOA
The Bayelsa State government under the current administration led by the State governor, Senator Douye Diri has made another significant milestone in the education sector.
The Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF), has awarded research grants to 16 teams from tertiary institutions in the state under its Tertiary Institutions Research Grant Scheme (TIRGS).
The grants were presented at a ceremony held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Yenagoa, where the Executive Secretary of EDTF, Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu, said the initiative was designed to strengthen research and scholarship and support knowledge creation capable of contributing to the development of Bayelsa State.
Etebu said the EDTF would monitor the implementation of the projects and require interim and final reports from the researchers, while urging the management of the participating institutions to provide the necessary oversight and support to ensure the integrity of the scheme.
In his remarks at the event, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, said the initiative underscored the importance of research to the state’s quest to develop world-standard universities, congratulated the beneficiaries, and urged them to give their best because society was waiting for the outcomes of their research.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Prof. Ebiowei Samuel Orubo thanked the EDTF Board for funding the projects, saying the researchers understood the potential impact of their work on society and globally,
He assured the Trust Fund that the beneficiaries would deliver on the research objectives for which the grants were awarded.
In a goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary of the Post Primary Schools Board, Mr. Faith Ogbara, described the initiative as a source of joy, noting that the EDTF programmes were designed to bring meaningful progress to the state.
Among the beneficiaries of the research grants were Prof. Elliot Sibiri, Prof. Debekeme Okoko, Prof. Happiness Mac Etele and Dr Nikade Anderson, alongside other researchers whose proposals were approved under the Tertiary institutions research grant scheme
