LIFESTYLE Culture

TETFund Urges Researchers To Develop Practical Innovations

by admin on | 2026-10-21 11:34:57

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 5

---

TETFund Urges Researchers To Develop Practical Innovations 

By Maryam Yahya 

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has urged Nigerian academics and researchers to move beyond publishing scholarly papers to developing practical innovations that address societal challenges and create economic opportunities.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr Sonny Echono, made the call in Abuja, through the Assistant Director, Research and Development, Dr Hadiza Ismail, at the closing ceremony of the 35th cohort of the Research for Impact Initiative, R4i.

Echono said the initiative, implemented in partnership with Innov8 Hub, was part of the Fund’s strategy to institutionalise research and development in public tertiary institutions and strengthen the relationship between academic research, industry and government.

He said, “We must empower our scholars to create local solutions for our societal problems. This is why a commitment to education is a commitment to our nation's future, ensuring that our people are not just consumers of foreign technology, but innovators who can drive sustainable growth.”

The executive secretary said Nigeria needed to strengthen its capacity to develop home-grown technologies rather than depend continuously on innovations from other countries.

He noted that technological advancement had become a major driver of economic transformation, adding that countries seeking sustainable development must invest in quality education, research and innovation.

According to him, the Research for Impact Initiative is designed to reposition public tertiary institutions as drivers of a knowledge-based economy through innovative practices and solution-driven research.

Echono commended Innov8 Hub for providing technical expertise and mentorship to participating academics, urging the graduates to apply the knowledge acquired during the intensive training to develop solutions for their institutions and communities.

The Deputy General Manager of Innov8 Hub, Dr Deji Ige, said the initiative was designed to establish a culture in which research and development drive innovation, enterprise creation and national development.

Ige said the programme was helping academics rethink the purpose of research by encouraging them to develop practical solutions with potential benefits for industry and society.

“Innovation thrives in a culture where research and development are the primary languages of interaction. If we can learn, understand and revive this culture, the outcomes will include inventions, solutions, technological advancement, enterprise development, job creation, wealth generation, meaningful impact and societal development,” he said.

He added that the collaboration between TETFund and Innov8 Hub was helping to strengthen the connection between academic knowledge and practical innovation.

One of the participants, Farida Adamu Mohammed of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, said the programme had changed her understanding of research by shifting her focus from academic publications to solutions that could be commercialised.

Mohammed said the 10-day intensive training equipped her with skills in identifying real-world problems, selecting viable ideas, understanding users’ needs and developing prototypes.

She said the training also exposed participants to the responsible use of artificial intelligence, the Business Model Canvas, user co-creation and effective communication for pitching ideas to potential funders and collaborators.

“Indeed, R4i has completely changed my perspective on research, shifting my focus from research for publication to research that creates impact, drives commercialisation, and generates profit,” she said.

Similarly, Engr. Austine Omoraka of the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, Delta State, said the programme had strengthened his commitment to applying engineering research to practical challenges in Nigeria, particularly in his state.

Omoraka said the combination of research, prototyping, market validation and business planning had given him a more structured approach to developing ideas into potentially marketable solutions.”

The members of cohort 35 were divided into six teams.

Team one unveiled “Bake Check, a web-based application that screens bread for bromate by analysing colour changes in a test solution using image capture and calibration.

Team two developed EcoCeramix, a bio-absorbent clay geo filter cartridge made from locally calcined clay, silica and rice husk ash designed to fit standard household water-storage buckets.

Other innovations unveiled include a hardware-based device designed to scan piles of waste at dump sites and recycling facilities, named Ecosort, a cooperative-operated storage facility tagged Agrivault, a real-time delivery tracking application and a solar-powered mosquito-responsive device. 

The Research for Impact Initiative is a collaborative programme established by TETFund and Innov8 Hub to help academics and researchers translate research ideas into practical innovations, prototypes and potentially commercial products. The initiative was launched in 2022 to address the gap between academic research and its application to real-world problems. 

TETFund has also reported that 18 researchers trained through R4i secured a collective $250,000 grant under the Science Granting Councils Initiative in 2024 to advance four innovations towards commercial viability. The development illustrated how research training could create pathways to further funding and product development beyond the initial programme. 

The initiative complements TETFund's broader research and development interventions, including the TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research, which supports the advancement of research outputs and the development of prototypes with commercial potential.