The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has called for the urgent commercialisation of research findings, saying Nigeria must transform innovations from its tertiary institutions into products and services that create jobs, strengthen local manufacturing and drive economic growth.
Echono made the call on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the committee for the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition, unveiling plans to expand the event into a national innovation platform that will connect researchers with investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
He said Nigeria possesses vast intellectual resources that must be harnessed to solve national development challenges and stimulate economic transformation.
“Nigeria is richly endowed with intellectual assets. Our ability to harness these and deploy them to activate the various sectors of our economy, promote local manufacturing, create jobs, generate wealth across the value chains, then we will be on the right path to achieving greatness,” Echono said.
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The TETFund boss explained that the decision to broaden the scope of the 2026 exhibition followed the success of the maiden edition held in November 2024, which showcased research breakthroughs from Nigerian tertiary institutions and facilitated partnerships between innovators and industry players.
According to him, several innovations presented during the inaugural fair have already found their way into the Nigerian market.
“Considering the large number of exhibitors that participated in the fair and the number of spin-offs that were mainstreamed into the Nigerian market, we are hopeful that it was also a stimulus for job creation,” he added.
Echono disclosed that the reconstituted planning committee now includes representatives from the organised private sector, innovation hubs, relevant government ministries, the Nigerian military, the Association of Nigerian Inventors and community-based innovators to encourage wider collaboration.
He said the committee would identify, compile and showcase proven research outputs while creating opportunities for researchers to engage with angel investors, venture capitalists, intellectual property specialists, technology licensing professionals and entrepreneurs.
“The main goal of the committee is to source, collate and showcase all proven research and development outputs, technologies and products, and create a conducive environment that encourages synergy and partnership among all relevant stakeholders, with a view to commercialising these innovations for the Nigerian market and beyond,” he said.
As part of the initiative, TETFund will also develop a comprehensive national database of research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and research institutes across Nigeria.
Echono added that the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition would feature an international conference expected to attract researchers, innovation experts and investors from across Africa and other parts of the world.
In a significant policy shift, he announced that participation would no longer be restricted to TETFund beneficiary institutions.
“We’ll be advertising for entries, and any Nigerian who has developed a product, a service or any kind of invention is expected to apply,” he said.
He encouraged innovators who participated in the maiden edition to return with improved technologies and new products that demonstrate progress since the inaugural exhibition.
“We hope this fair becomes a truly national event and the one-stop platform for inventors, innovators and researchers to showcase the products of their research. It should become Nigeria’s foremost innovation and technology exhibition,” he added.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its chairman, Engr. Umar Bindir, commended TETFund for broadening the committee’s membership to include researchers, policymakers, inventors and industry leaders, describing the approach as a major step towards bridging the gap between research and commercial application.
Earlier, TETFund’s Director of Research and Development and Centres of Excellence, Suleiman Zwingina, said the Fund had supported numerous research projects that had produced promising technologies and prototypes requiring commercialisation.
He noted that the National Research Fair and Exhibition was established to connect researchers with manufacturers, investors and policymakers, enabling innovations developed in Nigerian tertiary institutions to be transformed into commercially viable products capable of addressing the country’s development challenges.
