The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)’s Research for Impact Initiative (R4I) has awarded 18 lecturers from Nigerian higher education institutions a $250,000 grant from the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) to develop four prototype projects into commercially viable products.
The 18 lecturers, who were divided into four groups, were assisted at Innov8, an innovation hub in Abuja, to develop four prototypes: Development of Technology to Mitigate the Effect of Drought in Desert Areas of Northern Nigeria.
Automated Garri Frying Technology (Jollyfryer) Development, Biosensor Device for Water Purification Using Solar Energy, AirVolt: An Affordable Access to Electricity with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.
The SGCI is a multi-year initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of 17 Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the councils making significant contributions to strengthening national research and innovation ecosystems in their respective councils.
I welcome the management of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, representatives of the Science Granting Council Initiative, representatives of the Association of African Universities, academics, research and development partners, and esteemed guests to Innov8 Hub.
Speaking at the SGCI Launch Event in Abuja on Monday, Mr Deji Ige, Deputy General Manager, Innov8 Hub, stated that today’s event marks the beginning of new possibilities. “It exemplifies the power of foresight, commitment, and collaboration. On TETFUND’s mandate, a journey began about three years ago with the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative, later renamed the TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR).
These two initiatives have caused a significant paradigm shift in Nigerian academia, with lecturers now researching for solutions, innovation, venture creation, and impact, as opposed to the previous pattern of researching solely for publication and promotion.
“As TETFUND’s technical partner and collaborator on the implementation of R4i and TETFAIR, Innov8 Hub is delighted and grateful for TETFUND’s leadership and commitment to these collaborative initiatives, which are now yielding fruits of Human Capital Development, R&D Advancement, Home-Grown Solutions, Economic Growth, and National Development. One of these fruits is the reason we are here today.
It may interest you to know that 18 participants (divided into four teams) in the TETFund Research for Impact- R4i programme have been chosen as recipients of an R&D grant from the Science Granting Council Initiative.
“These 18 Nigerian academics will use the grant to advance the innovations they developed at Innov8 hub during their R4i programme. Beneficiaries from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria were chosen following a critical evaluation of their R4i projects.
This success story would not have been possible without TETFund and the paradigm-shifting collaboration with Innov8 Hub, which has enabled Nigerian academics to transform their ideas into innovations, solutions, and prototypes worthy of advancement to the next level of Minimum Viable Product.”
Ige went on to say, “By championing the current positive change in the landscape and output of R&D efforts in Nigeria, it is evident that TETFund is more than a government agency, but a light in the tunnel of academia, a lamp unto Nigerians’ path, and a champion of national development; while Innov8 Hub is the oil that fuels the lamp.”
Dr. Saliba Bakare, TETFund’s director of research and development, stated that, while Nigeria joined the SGCI in 2020, five years after the program’s inception, the impact of this collaboration is expected to be transformative.
According to Bakare, the $250,000 grant will benefit four Nigerian research teams, each working on projects with the potential to effect significant change.
He mentioned that these initiatives include advances in the processing of garri, a staple food, as well as pioneering efforts in renewable energy, among others.
He stated that the funding aims to bridge the gap between research and practical application, promoting commercially viable innovations.
He explained: “The essence is to assist them in transforming their research findings into commercializable goods and services in this country.”
He went on to say that a key aspect of the grant is that it assists research teams in developing their innovations into market-ready prototypes.
This, he explained, entails not only technical development but also pitching these products to industries, ensuring that the research results in tangible economic benefits.
“Four teams will use this money to develop their research into prototypes and pitch them to industries so that the product resulting from the research can be taken off,” he said.