The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has awarded ₦116 million to four research teams at the National Open University of Nigeria under the 2025 TETFund National Research Fund Intervention, targeting cancer treatment, diabetic wound care, carbon neutrality and language barriers in distance learning.

The Letters of Award, signed by TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono, were presented by the NOUN Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, during a ceremony at the university's headquarters in Abuja.

Peters congratulated the research teams and described the grants as a vote of confidence in the quality of research at the institution. He urged beneficiaries to deliver impactful outcomes with diligence and transparency, and in strict compliance with TETFund guidelines.

Leading the beneficiaries is a team headed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Adamu Shehu Usman, which received ₦25 million to develop phytopharmaceutical prototypes from Nigerian medicinal plants for cancer therapy. The study seeks to harness indigenous plant resources in producing affordable cancer treatments.

Professor Tijjani Habibu secured ₦21,895,466 for research into advanced graphene based nanoemulsions of rice bran oil for diabetic wound healing, a project expected to promote tissue regeneration, enhance blood vessel formation, and improve antimicrobial treatment options for people living with diabetes.

Professor Okoh Johnson Ifeanyi received ₦35 million to assess the readiness of Nigeria's financial system to support a transition to carbon neutrality and environmentally sustainable economic growth, with findings expected to guide policymakers and financial institutions on green financing.

The fourth grant of ₦35 million went to a team led by Professor Ogbonnadike Georgiana Onkolika for the development of a multilingual support system to bridge language barriers in Nigeria's Open and Distance Learning system across English, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

Each project will run for 24 months from the date the first tranche is released, with periodic progress reports submitted to TETFund. Under the funding arrangement, 95% of each approved grant will be released directly into dedicated research accounts operated by the respective principal investigators.