Nigeria will be getting 48 innovation hubs – TETFund
Nigeria will be getting 48 innovation hubs – TETFund
* This initiative is set up to boost research and innovations.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has said Nigeria is set to receive 48 state-of-the-art innovation hubs and entrepreneurship centres.
It said the centres, which are in phases, commenced in 2023, with 12 hubs already set up, 18 more in the final stages of procurement, and another 18 planned for 2025.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this at the weekend in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative.
The event which was organised in partnership with Innov8 Hub, featured a two-week training programme for 51 scholars from 11 polytechnics nationwide.
According to Echono, the initiative is designed to significantly enhance Nigeria’s research and innovation landscape.
He listed the expected outcomes of the hubs to include increased research output and impact, leading to improved rankings and reputation for Nigerian tertiary institutions; a surge in innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to the creation of new businesses, jobs, and economic opportunities; as well as improved economic growth.
Echono said: “In line with the commitment of the Fund to provide the enabling environment for problem-solving research, TETFund is funding the establishment of Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres in our beneficiary institutions in phases. We started this programme in 2023 with 12 beneficiary institutions. All the equipment is in place. We are in the process of installing and ensuring that they become operational.
“Last year, we commenced the process for an additional 18 institutions. And we are at the final stages. We are at the procurement stage. And hopefully, within the next couple of weeks, we will be at the Federal Executive Council to also kickstart the implementation of that.
“And in continuation of the phased development programme, another 18 institutions will be coming up in 2025. That will bring the total to 48 so far, for which we will be providing these facilities and replicating something similar to what we have (at Innov8 Hub) so that we can also encourage those of you who would have passed through here to be able to go back and see similar facilities. And you will now be coaches and mentors for other researchers based on the experience you’ve garnered from here.”
The TETFund boss said the R4i programme seeks to empower researchers and academics with the skills and knowledge needed to conduct cutting-edge, solution-focused research that tackles pressing societal issues.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Innov8 Hub, Gregory Ibe Jr., urged participants to serve as catalysts for innovation in their respective institutions.
He encouraged them to leverage the skills and knowledge acquired during the training programme to drive meaningful change and promote a culture of innovation among their students.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, highlighted the significance of protecting intellectual property through patenting innovations and registering trade names.
He urged Nigerian polytechnics to take the lead in practical innovation, leveraging scientific principles to develop products and technologies that can boost Nigeria’s technological standing.
Prof. Bugaje criticized Nigeria’s reliance on foreign products and emphasized the need for local manufacturing, citing examples from Rwanda and Uganda.
The Don encouraged polytechnics to foster teamwork and take proactive steps to assert Nigeria’s innovation capacity, contributing to the national economy.
