TETFund Opens 2026 National Research Fair To Innovators

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled plans to accelerate the commercialisation of research and innovation by opening participation in its 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition to all Nigerians, irrespective of educational background or institutional affiliation.

Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch Sonny Echono, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while inaugurating the committee for the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition.

Echono said the initiative was aimed at transforming research outputs into marketable products and services capable of creating jobs, generating wealth and driving national development.

He said this year’s exhibition would go beyond TETFund beneficiary institutions to accommodate inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers from across the country.

“We will advertise for entries and any Nigerian who has developed a product, a service or any form of innovation will be given the opportunity to apply. The committee will assess the submissions and select those with strong commercial potential for exhibition.

“We want this fair to become the one-stop shop for all inventors, innovators and researchers in Nigeria. We are extending participation beyond our traditional beneficiary institutions because innovation is not limited to the university system.”

Echono also said the exhibition would create a platform where researchers, manufacturers, investors, venture capitalists, technology licensing professionals and entrepreneurs could interact to move promising innovations from laboratories to the marketplace.

“Our goal is to create a conducive environment where researchers, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists and technology licensing professionals can meet and work together to commercialise these innovations.”

According to him, the Board of Trustees approved the expansion and reconstitution of the organising committee after the success of the inaugural edition, broadening its membership to include representatives of the organised private sector, innovation hubs, relevant government ministries, the military and the Association of Nigerian Inventors.

The TETFund boss explained that the committee would document research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, research institutes and independent innovators, create a national database of innovations, cluster technologies by sectors and facilitate partnerships that would attract investment.

He also disclosed that an international conference would be held alongside the exhibition to position Nigeria as a leading innovation destination in Africa.

“The conference will bring experts from Africa and beyond to share experiences and best practices so that Nigeria can strengthen its research ecosystem and become a leading innovation hub on the continent.”

Speaking further, Echono stressed that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by promoting local manufacturing, industrialisation and job creation.

Earlier, Director of Research and Development at TETFund, Dr Suleiman Zangina, said the Fund had over the years invested heavily in research projects and research and development programmes, many of which had produced innovations ready for commercialisation.

“Several of the research projects funded by the National Research Fund have produced promising outputs that can be scaled up to the level of commercialisation.”

According to him, the National Research Fair was conceived to bridge the gap between researchers and industry.

“The National Research Fair was initiated to provide a platform where researchers and industry could have a handshake, so that research outputs can be translated into goods and services for the benefit of society.”

Chairman of the committee, Engr Umar Bindir, lamented that despite Nigeria’s impressive academic achievements, research had yet to significantly impact the country’s economic fortunes because of weak collaboration between academia and industry.

Bindir said the committee would deliberately strengthen private sector participation to ensure innovations are transformed into commercially viable products.