By Ngozi Nwankwo
Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, has announced plans to expand 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.
Echono made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the committee for the 2026 National Research Fair and Exhibition, saying the initiative is aimed at transforming research outputs into commercially viable products capable of creating jobs, promoting local manufacturing and driving national economic development.
He explained that the decision to broaden the committee’s membership followed the success of the maiden edition of the exhibition held in November 2024, which showcased innovations from tertiary institutions and fostered stronger partnerships between researchers and industry stakeholders.
“Considering the large number of exhibitors that participated in the fair and the number of spin-offs that were mainstreamed into the Nigerian market, we are hopeful that it was also a stimulus for job creation,” Echono said.
The TETFund boss noted that 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 strategic stakeholders to deepen collaboration and widen participation.
He said the committee had been tasked with identifying, compiling and showcasing proven research and development outputs, technologies and innovations from across the country while creating an enabling environment for collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, intellectual property experts and technology licensing professionals.
According to him, the committee will also develop a comprehensive national database of research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and research institutes, while selecting innovations for exhibition during the event later this year.
Echono disclosed that the 2026 edition would feature an international conference designed to attract researchers, innovators and industry experts from across Africa and other parts of the world.
He stressed that participation would not be limited to institutions benefiting from TETFund interventions, noting: “Indeed, we’ll be advertising for entries, and any Nigerian at all that has developed a product, a service, or any kind of invention, we will expect them to apply.”
The Executive Secretary urged participants from the maiden edition to return with improved technologies and newly developed products, expressing confidence that the exhibition would evolve into Nigeria’s leading innovation platform.
Highlighting the broader significance of the initiative, Echono said: “Nigeria is richly endowed with intellectual assets. Our ability to harness these and deploy them to activate the various sectors of our economy, promote local manufacturing, create jobs and wealth across the value chain will put the country on the path to greatness.”
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chairman Engr. Umar Bindir commended TETFund for expanding the membership to include researchers, industry leaders, inventors and policymakers, describing the inclusive approach as “an innovation in itself.”
“We subscribe to every word that you have used in inaugurating this committee, and we will do everything possible to ensure that we achieve these objectives,” Bindir pledged.
