The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has commended the Executive Secretary of TETFund for organising a National Research/Fair Exhibition in tandem with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to domesticate local research results for job creation, wealth generation and economic growth.
Speaking at the inauguration of the TETFund Fair in Abuja, Alausa said that with the fair, TETFund is gradually encouraging research, which will go a long way in improving the manufacturing sector in Nigeria amd automatically improve Nigeria’s economy .
In his remarks at the fair, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono, said research outputs from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are gaining increasing global recognition across fields such as natural sciences, technology and innovation, social sciences, and the arts.
Echono highlighted the significant strides Nigerian institutions have made in research, which have resulted in a remarkable increase in the number of professors, PhD graduates, and overall teaching and research quality.
In the light of government policies aimed at revamping the economy, creating jobs, and redistributing wealth among Nigerians, TETFund has recognised the need to link these impressive academic performances to industry and everyday life,” he said.
He noted that TETFund’s enhanced support for critical Research and Development (R&D) initiatives has driven improvements in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
Continuing, Echono said the flagship initiatives such as the Research for Impact (R4i) programme, TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR), and Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) have facilitated the practical application and commercialisation of research outputs.
Arch Sonny Echono added that the ultimate goal of the fair is to “translate research from Nigerian tertiary institutions into innovations, inventions and practical solutions that can be commercialised. Some of the prototypes from these R&D efforts are being showcased at this fair”.
