150 University Academic Projects to Receive N20m Research Grant

Oluchi Chibuzor and Jessica Erobomhan About 150 Innovative university academic projects at undergraduate and post-graduate level will receive N20m in the 2026 Grooming Centre University research grant. Speaking at the opening of call for application in Lagos, Assistant Manager, Research and Development, CREM, Chimfurumnaya Chukwuekem, said there are no barriers to age, gender, religion or ethnicity to the Grooming Centre University Grant Scheme. He explained that this year’s grants would see 50 postgraduate and 100 undergraduate students receive a sum of N20m as a beneficiary of the programme. He stated that since inception in 2019, the Grooming Centre University Grant scheme’s intervention in tertiary research has awarded prizes to 659 students. However, the application opens 31st August, 2026 and closes 23rd, October 2026. According to him, “In addition to the designated focus areas for research proposals, the following criteria will serve as the bases for evaluating all submissions. The applicant must either be a final year undergraduate student or a postgraduate student in a Nigerian tertiary institution whose research project covers any of such areas as financial inclusion, microfinance, rural development, social enterprise, MSMEs, technological development, digital innovation in finance, youth development, women empowerment or any other research that is aimed at lifting people out of poverty.”