By danivert

Copyright thesun

The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has recorded a significant milestone in research excellence, as three of its academic staff secured the prestigious 2024 National Research Fund (NRF) grants awarded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). These grants will support cutting-edge research projects aimed at addressing critical national challenges, including clean energy production, the fight against fake news, and innovative cancer treatments.

According to a statement signed by the university’s Special Adviser on Media Matters, Dr. Wole Balogun, the selected research proposals reflect FUOYE’s growing reputation as a centre for impactful, solution-driven academic work.

“One of the winning projects is led by Professor Olayide Lawal, the university’s Director of Research and Development and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on sustainable energy production through the catalytic thermochemical conversion of water hyacinths—a fast-spreading invasive aquatic plant—into biofuel. The project aims to develop novel catalysts and upgrade the crude bio-oil using ultrasound, making it suitable for various energy applications.”

Professor Lawal explained that the project will provide an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on climate change and energy security.

The multidisciplinary project brings together experts from chemistry, engineering, and marine science and is expected to yield a biorefinery prototype. Other members of the research team include Professor Olatunde Oyelaran (Mechanical Engineering, FUOYE), Professor Pauline Chris-Okafor (Nnamdi Azikiwe University), Dr. Abiodun Adeoye and Dr. Kehinde Sodeinde (Chemistry, FUOYE), Dr. Akeem Akinfenwa (Summit University, Offa), Dr. Beatrice Bello (NIOMR), Mrs. Memunat Olagoke (NASENI), Mr. Imam Naziru and Miss Rukayat Quadri (FUOYE).

Another FUOYE scholar, Dr. Toyin Onayinka, Head of the Department of Broadcasting in the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, also won a TETFund research grant for a project that addresses the widespread problem of fake news and misinformation. The interdisciplinary project will create a national hub for monitoring and evaluating falsehoods in the Nigerian media space. Using natural language processing, machine learning, and mixed-methods fieldwork, the team will map how on-air personalities and social media influencers contribute to the spread of misinformation. The project will produce Nigeria’s first large annotated dataset on misinformation and develop a user-friendly Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tool to detect and classify false content in real time. It will also provide dashboards and analytical reports to help media organisations, policymakers, and regulators respond more effectively to the problem. Dr. Onayinka’s team includes Dr. Jacob Kehinde Opele (Information Management, FUOYE), Dr. Lawrence Adewole (Artificial Intelligence, FUOYE), Dr. Chioma Agbasimelo (Strategic Communication, UNIZIK), Dr. Blessing Vou Dakat (Pragmatics and Discourse, UNIJOS), and Mrs. Grace Oluwakemi Onipede (Junior Researcher, FCMS, FUOYE).

In the field of health sciences, Associate Professor Emmanuel Adelaja Bamigbola, Head of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology in FUOYE’s Faculty of Pharmacy, also received NRF funding for a project focused on developing novel therapies for breast and prostate cancer. The research aims to create nano-engineered anticancer drugs derived from medicinal plants. These nanodrugs are expected to offer improved stability, potency, bioavailability, and specificity in targeting cancer cells, while reducing toxicity and resistance often associated with conventional treatments. Prof. Bamigbola noted that the team will conduct preclinical trials using experimental animals to compare the effectiveness of the new therapies with existing treatments. If successful, the research will advance to the clinical stage. Collaborators on the project include Associate Professor Adekunle Adegbuyi (Pharmacology and Toxicology, FUOYE), Associate Professor John Olanlokun (Biochemistry, University of Ibadan), Dr. Abiodun Oyeleke (Anatomy, FUOYE), Dr. Ifesinachi Iyeh (Animal and Environmental Biology, FUOYE), and Miss Adepero Awolesi (Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, FUOYE).

With these three groundbreaking research initiatives funded by TETFund, FUOYE continues to solidify its position as a leading institution for innovative, impactful research in Nigeria. The university expressed confidence that the outcomes of the projects will contribute meaningfully to national development and the global body of knowledge, particularly in the areas of clean energy, media integrity, and public health.