The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled plans to broaden participation in the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition as part of efforts to accelerate the commercialisation of research findings and strengthen collaboration among academia, industry and investors.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja during the inauguration of the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition Committee, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the initiative was aimed at transforming research outputs into commercially viable products capable of creating jobs, boosting local manufacturing and driving national development.
Echono said the decision to expand the committee followed the success of the maiden edition held in November 2024, which showcased innovations from tertiary institutions and fostered stronger partnerships between researchers and industry players.
He noted that the inaugural exhibition generated significant interest and led to several research innovations being introduced into the Nigerian market, with positive implications for employment and economic growth.
According to him, the reconstituted committee now includes representatives of the organised private sector, community inventors, relevant government ministries, innovation hubs, the Nigerian military, the Association of Nigerian Inventors and other stakeholders to deepen collaboration and widen participation.
He explained that the committee’s mandate includes identifying, collating and showcasing proven research and development outputs, technologies and products, while creating an enabling environment for collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, intellectual property experts and technology licensing professionals.
Echono added that the committee would compile a comprehensive database of research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and research institutes across the country, as well as select technologies for exhibition later this year.
He disclosed that the event would also feature an international conference expected to attract researchers, innovators and industry experts from across Africa and other parts of the world.
The TETFund Executive Secretary stressed that participation would not be limited to institutions benefiting from the Fund’s interventions, noting that all Nigerians with innovative products, services or inventions would be encouraged to submit entries.
He also urged participants from the maiden edition to return with improved innovations and newly developed products to demonstrate progress made since the inaugural exhibition.
Echono said TETFund was determined to establish the National Research Fair and Exhibition as Nigeria’s leading innovation platform and a one-stop destination for researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs seeking to showcase research-driven solutions.
He emphasised that Nigeria possesses enormous intellectual resources which, if effectively harnessed, could stimulate manufacturing, create jobs, generate wealth and accelerate national economic development.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Engr. Umar Bindir, commended Echono for broadening the committee’s membership to include researchers, industry leaders, inventors and policymakers, describing the inclusive approach as an innovation in itself.
Bindir pledged that the committee would work diligently to ensure the success of the exhibition and fulfil its mandate of bridging the gap between research and industry.
Earlier, TETFund’s Director of Research and Development and Centres of Excellence, Suleiman Zwingina, said the Fund had supported numerous research projects and development programmes that had produced promising technologies and prototypes requiring commercialisation.
He explained that the National Research Fair and Exhibition was established to provide a platform for research outputs to attract industry partners and be developed into products and services capable of addressing Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
