From Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu
I have been wondering for a long time that Nigeria has the people with the best brains, and most of them are in academia. When they go to developed nations, they perform wonderfully. But why not in Nigeria? I found the answer to this long-unanswered question at Innov8 Hub.
Through the R4i initiative, I was able to reorient my faculty of thinking towards research in Nigeria, from research for strictly publications to commercialized research. The facilitators inspired, encouraged, and educated me on how to add value to my research. Consequently, adding value to research means adding value to yourself and the nation. I found myself engulfed in an ocean of opportunities, pushed to be in love with the problems and not the solutions, with an open mind, as problems may have multifaceted approaches toward their solutions.
My level of research and development advanced into one of creativity, innovation, societal impact, and commercialization through dynamic sessions led by excellent facilitators. These sessions fostered a spirit of inquiry, emphasizing that innovation ought to proceed from problem identification through concept creation, hypothesis testing, business modeling, and rapid prototyping. In addition, it included operating models, agile concepts, commercialization, public speaking, prototype creation, emotional intelligence, and intellectual property protection.
For me, innovation has become an emotional process that needs to be guided by the 3H (Head, Heart & Hands) paradigm. It is the people’s invention, by the people, and for the people. Instead of letting the nation’s economic circumstances depress us, we should develop ideas that can SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Replace) and make things valuable and advantageous for society.
Through the R4i initiative, I have developed new skills that have clarified why my past research works should not be limited to publications that end up on bookshelves without adding value to society, entrepreneurship, sustainability, patenting, or venture creation. We can change Nigeria’s future for the better. I will always treasure the time I spent at Innov8 Hub, the bond that all participants shared, the hospitality, the technical know-how, the love, the care, and the time management skills of the staff members. They have all had an everlasting impact on my academic and professional career. Without an iota of doubt, the collaboration between Innov8 Hub and TETFund marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Nigerian research and development landscape. This cooperative strategy highlights the enormous potential of cooperation among the Government, Academia and Industry.