The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled plans to set up 18 new Innovation Hubs across tertiary institutions in 2025 to enhance research and technological advancement in the country.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, made this known during the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative at Innov8 Technology Hub in Abuja.

He described the initiative as part of the Fund’s broader efforts to cultivate a culture of problem-solving research, entrepreneurship, and innovation-driven progress.

Echono emphasized the critical role of education and research in national development and sustainability. He noted that the R4i programme, in partnership with Innov8 Technology Hub, is designed to equip researchers and academics with the skills needed to conduct solution-oriented research addressing pressing societal issues.

Reaffirming TETFund’s dedication to institutionalizing Research & Development (R&D) in Nigerian universities, he underscored the importance of bridging the gap between research and industry.

According to Echono, the establishment of Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres will occur in phases, allowing participants to continually refine their innovations and mentor others within their institutions.

“The first phase will involve twelve (12) beneficiary institutions under the 2023 intervention year, the second phase will involve eighteen (18) institutions under the 2024 intervention, and the third phase will involve another eighteen (18) institutions under the 2025 intervention.

“These facilities will enable the participants of this programme to continue practicing what they have learned at this innovation hub and mentor others,” Echono added.

He also praised past participants of the initiative for their dedication, revealing that some of their innovations were showcased at the maiden edition of the TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition in November 2024.

Meanwhile, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), stressed the importance of securing intellectual property rights. He urged Nigerian polytechnics to prioritize patenting innovations and registering trade names.

“I am very sure many of these innovations and ideas you have exhibited could be patented because that’s the most important step in innovation. You must patent your ideas, discoveries, and innovations. Besides patents, if there are any names, I’ve seen many names mentioned in some of the programmes, you also need to do trade name registration,” he advised.

Bugaje lamented Nigeria’s dependency on foreign products and called for a stronger focus on homegrown technological solutions. Drawing comparisons to Rwanda and Uganda, he encouraged polytechnics to adopt a team-driven approach in fostering technological independence and national economic growth.

“The challenge is on us today in Nigeria. Nigeria is among the top nations in terms of population, GDP, and many other criteria, including being number one in Africa. But today, Nigeria doesn’t have a technology that we can call Nigerian. We are holding Samsung products from Korea. We are driving cars made in Asia and Europe. You should lead Nigeria out of our present disabled condition,” he added.

Additionally, Edward Singhatey, Director at Innov8 Hub, encouraged participants to apply their newfound knowledge in their institutions and actively share their expertise with students to drive innovation.

“We need to commercialize our research,” he urged, emphasizing the need to transform research into practical, marketable solutions.