Prof. Clement Adebooye, the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, has announced that scholars from the university have secured research grants totaling $12 million in the first half of 2023. According to Adebooye, this achievement is attributed to the support and encouragement provided by the university’s management to its staff in finding solutions to global issues.

The announcement came in response to the recent success of Prof. John Agbonifo, the Director of the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute, and Prof. Olukoya Ogen, the Director of the Office of Research and Innovation Management. They collaborated with Prof. Jean-Marc Trouille from Bradford University to form a research consortium for a project titled “The European Union and Africa in a Multi Crises World.” The research project received funding of €7,800,000 from ERASMUS-JMO-2023-NETWORKS-HEI-NON-EU-AFRICA.

A statement released by the UNIOSUN Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, highlighted that the AfriquEurope project, facilitated by Prof. Agbonifo and with Prof. Ogen as the Project Financial Signatory, is the largest Jean Monnet network of its kind. It aims to foster collaboration between universities and think tanks in Africa and Europe, focusing on issues relevant to both continents and supporting the EU’s efforts to strengthen its partnership with Africa.

Expressing his satisfaction with the achievements of the university’s staff, Vice-Chancellor Adebooye stated that these research endeavors and grant successes align with his vision for the institution. He believes that UNIOSUN will continue to attract significant funding and become one of the leading universities in the region in terms of research grants.

“With a total of $12 million secured in grants in 2023 alone, UNIOSUN has achieved a remarkable milestone. We take great pride in the accomplishments of our researchers. This latest grant marks another significant step in our research and global visibility agenda. I am confident that in the near future, we will be among the universities that have won the highest grants in this part of the world,” Adebooye declared.