The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced that participation in its 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition will be open to all Nigerians, regardless of educational qualifications or institutional affiliation, as part of efforts to accelerate the commercialisation of research and innovation.

Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch Sonny Echono, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the committee for the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition.

According to Echono, the expanded initiative is designed to convert research findings into commercially viable products and services capable of creating employment opportunities, generating wealth and supporting national development.

Unlike previous editions that focused on TETFund beneficiary institutions, the 2026 exhibition will now welcome inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers from across Nigeria.

“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 explained that the exhibition would also serve as a meeting point for researchers, manufacturers, investors, venture capitalists, technology licensing professionals and entrepreneurs, enabling promising innovations to move from research laboratories into 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.”

He further disclosed that TETFund’s Board of Trustees approved the expansion and reconstitution of the organising committee following the success of the inaugural edition. The newly expanded committee now includes representatives from the organised private sector, innovation hubs, relevant government ministries, the military and the Association of Nigerian Inventors.

Echono said the committee has been tasked with documenting research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, research institutes and independent innovators. It will also establish a national database of innovations, organise technologies according to sectors and facilitate partnerships capable of attracting investment.

The TETFund Executive Secretary also revealed that an international conference would be held alongside the exhibition as part of efforts to position Nigeria as a leading innovation destination on the African continent.

“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.”

He noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by encouraging local manufacturing, industrialisation and job creation.

Earlier, TETFund’s Director of Research and Development, Dr Suleiman Zangina, said the agency had consistently invested in research projects and research and development programmes over the years, with many producing innovations that are now 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.”

Zangina explained that the National Research Fair was established 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.”

Also speaking, Chairman of the organising committee, Engr Umar Bindir, expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s significant academic accomplishments, research has yet to make a substantial contribution to the country’s economic growth due to weak collaboration between academia and industry.

Bindir stated that the committee would intentionally strengthen private sector participation to ensure research-driven innovations are successfully transformed into commercially viable products.

Source: Leadership