The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is planning to establish innovation hubs in 45 beneficiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to help researchers develop practical solutions to societal challenges and turn research findings into marketable products.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, announced the plan at the closing ceremony of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative in Abuja on Friday.
Echono, represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc. Babatunde Olajide, said the proposed hubs would provide facilities and an enabling environment for academics to apply the skills acquired through the programme and sustain their research activities.
The initiative, implemented in partnership with Innov8 Technology Hub, is designed to equip researchers and academics with the expertise needed to translate research ideas into innovations that address Nigeria’s development challenges.
Echono said the investment formed part of TETFund’s broader strategy to strengthen research and development in tertiary institutions, promote innovation and support sustainable economic growth.
“In line with the commitment of the fund to provide the enabling environment for problem-solving research, the fund is funding the establishment of innovation hubs in 45 beneficiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones,” he said.
He added that the hubs were expected to help reposition tertiary institutions as centres for innovation, with researchers better equipped to develop solutions that could be adopted by industry and commercialised.
Echono said Nigeria needed to prioritise home-grown technology and research in responding to its challenges, noting that technology had become a major driver of wealth creation and national development.
“Education remains a critical cornerstone of nation building, serving as a beacon of societal sustainability and human survival. Globally, technology has taken centre stage in transforming lives, generating wealth and shaping nations,” he said.
The TETFund chief disclosed that participants in earlier cohorts of the R4i initiative had developed several prototypes, some of which had been patented.
“I am pleased to announce that participants in the previous cohorts of this initiative have produced several remarkable prototypes, some of which have been patented. I am optimistic that the participants of this cohort will not be different,” he said.
He attributed the programme’s expansion to positive feedback from previous participants and their institutions, explaining that the number of nominees per institution had increased from one at the initiative’s inception to four.
According to him, the increase would encourage multidisciplinary research teams, enabling academics with different scientific backgrounds to collaborate, mentor emerging researchers and improve the prospects of commercialising their work.
Echono urged participants in Cohort 34 to build on the knowledge gained during the two-week intensive training, adding that the next phase would focus on commercialising products developed through the programme.
He assured participants of TETFund’s continued support and called for sustained collaboration to advance research and technology development in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Deputy General Manager of Innov8 Technology Hub, Deji Ige, commended TETFund for supporting research and innovation through the partnership.
Ige said the R4i initiative offered academics an opportunity to move beyond theoretical research by developing practical solutions and viable enterprises.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. We chose to go together. And this has been our story with TETFund,” he said.
He encouraged participants to see failure as part of the innovation process and to continue refining their ideas rather than abandon them when early attempts did not succeed.
“When you are looking to innovate, do not be afraid of failure, because failure is part of the chaotic process of innovation,” he said.
Ige added that researchers needed access to resources, expertise, equipment, mentorship and opportunities to develop technologies capable of competing internationally.
He urged the academics to sustain the relationships established during the training and apply their knowledge to challenges in their institutions and communities.
The R4i initiative is aimed at strengthening the link between academic research and practical application, with the planned innovation hubs expected to provide infrastructure for researchers to develop, test and advance solutions beyond the training programme.
