The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to establish 18 new Innovation Hubs across Nigerian tertiary institutions in 2025, aiming to bolster research and innovation in the country.
TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, revealed this at the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative in Abuja. He emphasized the fund’s commitment to fostering problem-solving research, entrepreneurship, and technological advancement, highlighting the crucial role of education and research in national development.
The R4i program, conducted in collaboration with Innov8 Technology Hub, focuses on equipping researchers and academics with the skills to conduct innovative, solution-driven research that addresses societal challenges. Echono stated that TETFund is dedicated to supporting the institutionalization of Research & Development (R&D) in Nigerian universities and strengthening Research-Industry connections.
TETFund’s phased approach to establishing Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres will allow participants to apply their training and mentor others. The 2025 phase will include 18 institutions, following previous phases in 2023 and 2024.
Echono highlighted the impact of past R4i innovations at the TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition and encouraged current participants to showcase their outputs.
Professor Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), stressed the importance of patenting innovations and registering trade names to protect intellectual property. He urged Nigerian polytechnics to lead in practical innovation, applying scientific principles to develop products and technologies that enhance Nigeria’s technological standing.
Bugaje criticized Nigeria’s dependence on foreign products and called for local manufacturing, citing examples from Rwanda and Uganda. He emphasized the need for teamwork and proactive measures to demonstrate Nigeria’s innovative capacity.
Mr. Edward Singhatey, Director at Innov8 Hub, encouraged participants to share their acquired knowledge with students and promote innovation within their institutions, emphasizing the importance of commercializing research.
