TETFund Upcoming National Research Fair/Exhibition: A Testament of Bold Reforms and Leadership in Display
TETFund Upcoming National Research Fair/Exhibition: A Testament of Bold Reforms and Leadership in Display
Like the rising sun with visible rays, the transformation of Tetfund as the foremost and critical intervention agency in the educational ecosystem in nigeria, is again, opening new vistas of groundbreaking results and direction to reposition Nigerian research and innovation, by organizing a novel national research fair and exhibition,to showcase, promote and in return commercialize the ingenuity of researchers and innovators products and prototype to the global community.
This new narrative underscores the direction and new thinking of the current Tetfund management ably led by architect Sonny Echono, whose passion in deepening research, innovation and cutting edge technology in our tertiary education sub sector, as evidently and robustly enshrined in his blueprint at tetfund, and demonstrated in the implementation of all Tetfund interventions landscape.
Echono has maintained that for Nigeria to be a major players in the committee of nations, research and innovation must be the hallmark of our tertiary education trajectory.
For Nigerians, the Echono’s model of intervention in research findings and results will bring about solutions to majority of our home grown challenges; ranging from health, agriculture, science and so on. This will Lead to subsequent commercialization of this prototype solutions that will sufficiently upscale our nations GDP.
This narrative is novel to Nigerians researchers and they are embracing it as a new thinking capable of expanding the fortunes of the nation’s economy.
Going by the current administration of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as aptly captured in His Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector, the bold ideas and initiatives currently being executed at Tetfund is in line with the president agenda.
We all recall that in line with the commitment of the federal government to achieve technological and economic development in the country, Tetfund had, about a year ago gone in to partnership with Innov8 Hub, an innovation startup driven organization, to make innovative opportunities accessible to academics in Nigerian tertiary education.
All this is geared towards harnessing Nigerian best brains and innovators to bring about practical solutions to national needs and challenges that would in turn be commercialize for national growth and development.
This is what must have informed Tetfund
Upcoming National Research Fair/Exhibition scheduled to hold at the Eagle square, Abuja, on the 17th to 22nd,of November, 2024.
In a recent interview with the chairman Organising Committee of the TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition he stated that it is in receipt of over 2000 entries in the maiden edition of the programme.
Billed for November 17 to 22, the TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition aims at bridging the gap between research, innovation and the market.
Engr Bindri said the five-day event will provide a platform for researchers, innovators, manufacturers, investors, venture capitalists as well as policy makers to showcase their products to the market.
He said the Fair will support and promote homegrown technologies to emerge as businesses and solution providers, which ultimately will reduce the dependence on foreign technologies, save foreign exchange, create massive jobs and generate wealth, especially for the country’s teeming youth population.
While expressing the commitment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in supporting cutting-edge researches and its application for economic development, the agricultural engineer said the event would showcase practical research outcomes and scalable prototypes to potential investors and entrepreneurs for commercialization.
He disclosed that at the expiration of the submission deadline, submissions would be screened and pruned down before the commencement of the programme.
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“We have two categories of submissions. One is the formal institutions: the universities, polytechnics, research institutes, colleges of education. The second is the informal institutions like the pantakers, creative people.
“The submissions in the formal one is around 1,300. The informal one is around 300. So we have between 1,500 to 1,600. But we have extended by another week. So by next week we are going to do the final close down.
“We want to make sure that submission must be formal. We don’t want somebody to come to the gate with his invention begging, saying he is from your village. We cannot make progress using those primitive ways of doing things,” Bindri said.
On what makes this fair stand out from others, he said: “When you see a winning technology, we bring the intellectual property people through this committee to help you. We will bring the funders to see it and convince them so that they can invest.”
The panel is a sub-committee of the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) of TETFund.
Also speaking, Chairman of NRFS&MC and member of TETFair Organising Committee, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, said it is looking for ‘low-hanging technological fruits that are ready for the market’.
Prof. Mafuyai announced that patent lawyers will be in attendance to offer expert advice and assistance to innovators on securing patents and commercializing their creations.
“Hopefully, we are looking forward that some agreements would be struck. And that some of those good products that can go straight into production will be struck. And if that happens, we will be making another step in the right direction, particularly at this time that we need all sources of revenue to be generated, jobs to be created,” he said.
The move, the Don said, is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arch. Sonny Echono while playing host to the chief of army Staff also seeks for greater collaboration with Nigerian Armed Forces in the forthcoming National Research Fair.
Echono expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to the armed forces for their sacrifices in keeping the country safe .
He acknowledged the military’s contributions to technological advancements, such as GPS and drones, which have significant societal impacts.
He emphasized the importance of encouraging military personnel in cutting-edge research for both military and societal benefits .
The TETFund boss reiterated that the fair is aimed to translate research findings into practical goods and services, with experts from Israel, the European Union, and Brazil providing guidance.
While inviting the military to participate in the national research fair, highlighting the benefits of collaboration.
“We also know that the military have a very strong research component, so we see this opportunity again to renew our invitation to the military to participate at the fair participations for all Nigerians, including our schools and the military, will come at no cost to the participants.
“So we look forward to that collaboration your institutions also we had, as I told you when I came to your office, we stand ready to support the very we’re already doing some partnerships. He added.
Aso lending his voice to this new direction by Tetfund, is, Professor Innocent Ujah, the vice Chancellor, federal university of Health Sciences Oturkpo, who is also a member of the Technical Committee of the fair, in an exclusive interview during the weekend with Cablenews, commended Tetfund under the leadership of Echono and the supervisory role of tetfund Board-Chairman His Excellency Aminu masari for showing leadership and driving the Renewed Hope agenda of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In all of these, there seems to be a silver lining in the horizon for Nigerian researchers and innovators and our tertiary institutions across board with the gateways the new leadership at TETFUND has opened.
Adagher Tersoo. A Public Affairs commentator.
