From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in sub-Saharan Africa (5GC) has announced that Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has joined the initiative to advance research excellence in sub-Saharan Africa. 
TETFund in a statement on Sunday confirmed the development, and added the joining the Council will open more window of opportunity for both organizations promote education, technology and other related benefits.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro, admitted that national growth and competitiveness in the context of globalized economy depends very much on continuous technological improvement and innovation driven by a well-organized vibrant research and development system.
He said: “We are confident that our admission into SGCl will open a new window of opportunities that will provide platforms that can serve as a fulcrum in achieving our goals of Nigerla’s transition to a knowledge economy in the 21 century. We are assured of quality partnerships and collaborations on the continent of Africa and beyond”.
SGCI has been jointly funded since 2015 by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), South Africa’s Naticnal Research Foundation (NRF), the Swedish Intemational Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The initiative aimed to strengthen the capacities of Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in sub-Saharan Atrica in order to support research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to ecoromic and social development.
Dr. Dominique Charon, Vice-President, Programmes and Partnership Branch at Canada’s International Development Research Centre, in his remarks, said, “with the largest population and economy in Africa, Nigeria’s participation expands the potential for the Initiative to achieve its goals of strengthening science systems and building alliances between science granting councils in multiple regions across the sub-continent and
internationally.”
On his side, Dr Aldo Stroebel, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships at the National Research Foundation-South Afria and SGCI Executive Committee Member welcomed TETFund into SGCI family, and urged them to expect tremendous benefits.
Speaking on FCDO’s involvement and the benefit to Nigeria, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing CB said: “Nigeria’s TETFund admission to SGCI is a positive development that will better position Nigeria to maximise the commissioning and use of research for development, in line with critical national social and economic priorities.
She said the UK recognises the importance of science in addressing global challenges. “We are pleased to had supported TETFund to join the SGCI and will continue to work in partnership with them and other ministries, departments and agencies in Nigeria to better realise the benefits of science and research.