The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled its initiative to establish 18 new Innovation Hubs in tertiary institutions throughout Nigeria in 2025. This effort aims to bolster the nation’s research and innovation landscape.

During the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative, held at the Innov8 Technology Hub in Abuja, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, shared the details of this ambitious project.

Echono emphasized that this initiative reflects TETFund’s dedication to nurturing a culture of problem-solving research, entrepreneurship, and technological progress. He highlighted the critical role of education and research in fostering national development and sustainable growth.

The R4i program, developed in partnership with Innov8 Technology Hub, is designed to enhance the capabilities of researchers and academics, empowering them to conduct innovative research that directly addresses societal challenges.

The Fund is committed to institutionalizing Research & Development (R&D) within Nigerian universities and fostering connections between research and industry. Echono explained that the phased establishment of Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres will enable participants to apply their skills continuously and mentor others in their innovative endeavors.

He acknowledged the importance of research in enhancing the quality of life in the nation and expressed gratitude to Innov8 for its collaboration in transforming the innovation ecosystem. Participants were encouraged to leverage their training to develop impactful innovations for their institutions and communities.

“I am pleased to recognize the impressive commitment displayed by participants of previous cohorts during their training, which led to significant innovations addressing various societal needs,” Echono remarked.

He also noted that several innovations from prior editions were showcased at the inaugural TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition in November 2024, and he expressed confidence that the current cohort would similarly demonstrate their innovative outputs.

Echono detailed the phased funding approach for establishing Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres, stating that the first phase will involve 12 institutions under the 2023 intervention, followed by 18 institutions in the 2024 intervention, and another 18 in 2025.

“These facilities will empower program participants to implement what they have learned at the innovation hubs and guide others,” he added.

Professor Idris M. Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), also addressed the audience, underscoring the necessity of patenting innovations and registering trade names for intellectual property protection. He urged Nigerian polytechnics to spearhead practical innovation by applying scientific principles to develop products and technologies that could enhance Nigeria’s technological status.

Bugaje criticized the country’s dependence on foreign manufactured goods, such as vehicles and electronics, and called for a shift towards local production. He cited examples from Rwanda and Uganda, encouraging polytechnics to promote teamwork and take proactive measures to demonstrate Nigeria’s innovative capabilities, thereby contributing to the national economy.

“I believe many of the innovations you have showcased are patentable, as securing patents is a crucial step in innovation. You must protect your ideas and discoveries. Furthermore, if any names have been proposed, trade name registration is also essential,” he stated.

He emphasized the urgent need for innovation in Nigeria, reminding attendees that despite being one of the world’s largest economies, Nigeria lacks a recognizable indigenous technology. “This training is vital as it fosters teamwork, which is integral to the innovation process,” he concluded.

Mr. Edward Singhatey, Director at Innov8 Hub, encouraged participants to take the knowledge gained back to their institutions and share it with their students to foster innovation. “We must focus on commercializing our research,” he urged, motivating attendees to utilize the resources at their disposal effectively.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it will partner with relevant agencies to boost Artificial Intelligence (AI) studies in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

He said the Fund had drastically scaled up textbook production in addition to other initiatives such as ICT centres to position Nigeria as a leader in AI in Africa.

He said this was part of TETFund’s contribution to the nation’s quest to tap into the multi-trillion dollars global digital economy.

According to him, AI is one of the few subject areas where the Fund could send scholars abroad for further training because it had not fully developed in Nigeria.

“We don’t send anybody outside anymore. But AI is a new and expanding field. It is one of the few areas we are training people abroad because we want to lead in Africa,’’ he told NAN.

He said the Fund had supported the development of AI textbooks, covering topics such as AI in teaching and learning, ethics, and curriculum development.

Echono said the aim was to boost the use of AI and to get the tertiary institutions to begin to exploit and use it in teaching and learning.

He said that in addition to book development, TETFund had trained over 3,000 scholars in AI and emerging ICT trends in the last two years in collaboration with leading institutions.

He explained that the initiative had resulted in the ICT training of over 17,000 educators through the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme.

“We started with general ICT training because we’ve been doing a lot of ICT training. If the teacher is not ICT-savvy, even for him to put his lecture on the platform is a problem.

“For him to interact with the students on the platform or to send his mark, to do his marking scheme, to relate, to get presentations, even zoom meetings would be a problem he must be ICT literate.

“After that we started letting them understand how they can use ICT, how they can leverage on it to improve the quality of their delivery and the experiences of their students,” he said.

“We want to leapfrog others in ICT, robotics. We are coming very strong in robotics now, but we are late comers, some people are already doing it before us.

“But we don’t want anybody to be ahead of us on this continent. So we are pushing those frontiers,” he said.

Echono also said that the present TETFund management inherited a stagnated book development programme that published only 20 books in 13 years.

He said that upon assuming office in 2022, he challenged the book development committee to meet ambitious targets of producing more books.

“I said, in the first year, you must do 50, if not I’m going to disband it, we’re wasting money coming to do meetings, talking, and not seeing the books.

“Later, I said I want to see up to 100 books being published and they said it can be done. We’ll give you all the support, publicise and advertise to Nigerian authors.

“We identified the subjects where we do not have enough textbooks. We Tasked the professors and all the experts in that field to put things in order..

Echono said this challenge spurred the book development committee as TETFund published 50 books in 2023, another 60 shortly after with another tranche of 50 textbooks published recently.

He explained that another batch of 50 textbooks was currently in under production. (NAN)

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded justice for the five students of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) who lost their lives in an auto crash near Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

NANS South West General Secretary, Oluwole Olutunde Aboke in conjunction with NAUS CMC Osun (JCC Osun), and NANS South West (Zone D), in a petition addressed to President Bola Tinubu dated March 24, 2025, accused the Silver Transport Company of negligence, indifference and failure to take responsibility for the accident involving the students.

The students’ body accused the transport company of gross negligence, recklessness and utter lack of accountability in connection with the tragic accident.

NANS said it was disturbing that despite the gravity of the incident, the transport company had failed to release any official statement, send condolences to the victims’ families, or accept responsibility for their role in this unfortunate disaster.

According to them, the silence is not only an insult to the bereaved families, but also a blatant disregard for human lives and public safety.

“Your Excellency, this recklessness cannot go unpunished. Companies operating in Nigeria must be held accountable for their actions, especially when their negligence leads to the loss of innocent lives,” the students said.

The students urged the office of the President to institute independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding tragedy, ensuring that the transport company was held responsible for any violations of safety regulations that contributed to the accident.

If found guilty of negligence, NANS demands indefinitely closure of the company to prevent further loss of lives.

It added that the Ministry of Transportation should review its operational license and assess whether transport companies meet necessary safety standards required to continue operations in Nigeria.

The students stated that the affected students and their families deserve justice, urging the government to compel the Company to take full responsibility and compensate the families of the victims for their loss.

While calling on the Nigeria Police not to bury the case, NANS said it observed a pattern where cases of corporate negligence were swept under the carpet.

They urged the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner, Osun State Police Command to ensure that the case was not abandoned or manipulated in favour of the transport company.

It warned that Nigerian students would not remain silent while innocent lives continue to be endangered by the irresponsibility of corporate entities.

“If swift action is not taken, NANS JCC Osun will mobilise students across the state and beyond for a mass action to demand justice.

“We trust in Your Excellency’s commitment to justice and public safety, and we look forward to your immediate intervention in this pressing matter”, they added.