Top government officials, academics, and others attended the opening event of The TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research- TETFAIR.
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, the Executive Secretary TETFund, Architect Sonny Echono, and other top government officials, academics, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry arrived at Innov8 Hub on Thursday 14th December 2022, for the opening event of TETFAIR.
TETFAIR, a collaborative initiative of TETFund and Innov8 Hub is a 12-month programme for academics and researchers who intend to turn ideas and research into innovation, solution, and enterprise.
In his remark, the Honourable Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, reassured stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to the advancement of scientific innovation in Nigeria. According to Mamora who was represented by Mrs. Monilola Udoh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, TETFAIR is in line with Executive Order No. 5 of President Muhammadu Buhari, which calls for integrating science, technology, and innovation into daily life in order to promote national development.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, declared TETFAIR open. He stated that the project would assist address shortcomings and propose answers that will help Nigeria meet international demands. The Honourable Minister, represented by the Minister of State for Education Goodluck Nanah Opiah, applauded TETFund for the effort and added that developed nations rely on science and technology to achieve their status.
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of TETFund gave insight into the TETFAIR initiative in collaboration with Innov8 Hub. Architect Echono indicated that TETFAIR was part of the country’s efforts to institutionalize Research & Development in Nigeria.
“The TETFAIR programme is being conducted by TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Technology Hub, a firm championing the advancement of Science and Technology Education in Nigeria.”
“The programme is designed to support the advancement of solution-driven research, innovation and sustainable development in Nigeria. Being a year-long programme, TETFAIR is aimed at providing a unique opportunity for our academics and researchers in Nigerian Universities to transform their ideas into market-driven solutions, including the development and fabrication of prototypes.”
“Through the programme, selected teams of researchers and academic staff with promising ideas for innovative solutions in the programme’s areas of focus, are being taken through a journey that combines technology and product development along with venture creation.”
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the NUC Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, reminded the members of academia present of the government’s mandate to provide infrastructure, tax reduction and multiple waivers to create an enabling environment for members of the academia to conduct research.
The Communications adviser at Innov8 Hub, Deji Ige, intimated to the attendants the core objectives of the Innov8 Hub philosophy.
“In the 3 years of our existence, we have become the epicentre of innovation, invention, solution and start-up incubation in Nigeria; aided considerably by critical collaborations with visionary and resilient partners like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, the Embassy of the State of Israel in Nigeria, MakeLab, Zell Entrepreneurship and others, who share our vision of inculcating the culture of innovation and venture creation in Nigerians; to gradually transform Nigeria into a start-up nation.
“So far, we have helped Nigerians develop and perfect over 72 prototypes ready for commercialisation, we have mentored over 150 innovators, inventors and venture creators, among whom are academics and researchers. We have been involved in the emergence of 15 solid start-ups.”
