Tag: TETFUND

Efforts to transform research into innovation got a boost in Nigeria as TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR) and Innov8 Hub, a non-profit and non-governmental innovation centre, got together to unveil 15 brand-new, fully functional prototypes developed by academics and researchers from tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The event was a one-day demo for the Academic Solutions Incubation Programme (ASIP) in Abuja.

The demo titled: “TETFAIR 5,6,7 and ASIP: Demo Day” was organised by Innov8 Hub in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR).

Their works span across agriculture and health to construction technology, digital solutions, energy, among others.

It was a Showcase event for the Academic Solutions Incubation Programme (ASIP)

Through both programmes, participating researchers have undergone an intensive journey that includes: Business development; Business modelling; Product refinement; Technical mentorship; Prototype design and fabrication.

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Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the NGO’s Deputy General Manager, Dr Deji Ige, explained that the essence of the event is to see how to translate from research to innovation.

Ige said, “We are showcasing outcomes of partnership with TETFund.

Innov8 Hub is the implementing partner of TETFAIR and ASIP.

“The choice of lecturers as participants was made through an open call.

“Such as calls for application from academics in Nigerian tertiary institutions that have researchers trying to translate and transform ideas into solutions and solve challenges in the Nigerian society.

“A lot of people applied, and the most viable and achievable ideas were selected through a free and fair process, after which successful academics and researchers were admitted into the programme.

“There should be an end goal to every research, and that goal should be transformation. Researchers should be solution-driven.

“This is what formed the partnership between TETFAIR and Innov8 Hub. So, what are the end goals of these solutions?

“These are solutions that have reached the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage and can proceed to commercialisation if there is investment.”

“So, every participant within TETFAIR, ASIP, and other TETFund initiatives implemented by Innov8 Hub participates free of charge. No participant has to pay for their journey.

“Once you are selected, you are catered for from the beginning to the end — all expenses paid,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Sunny Echono, Executive Secretary of TETFund, said that the demo sought to promote the relevance of teaching and learning about innovation across institutions to the immediate environment.

He said, “Our national economy is dwindling because Nigeria and the world today have moved from producing graduates who go and fill positions either in administration or work in offices.

“Given the rapid expansion in our population and the evolution of the knowledge economy that places so much emphasis on skills and talents, we felt there was a fundamental need for a shift in our education system.

“With the increasing demand for creativity and innovation, it has become essential to rethink how we prepare individuals for future opportunities and challenges.

“To do that, we had to start with the academia, the teaching staff, the faculty, because when you teach a teacher, and he goes back, you will also be able to translate that to the students.

“This is why we launched so many programmes in partnership with Innov8 Hub.

“And these programmes are designed to equip our lecturers, to reignite the creative and the research spirit in them,” Echono said.

He revealed that no fewer than 72 different innovation hubs, similar to Innov8 Hub, were put in place across various campuses and are expanding on an annual basis.

The Polytechnic of Ibadan demonstrated Funfit, a fitness device that gamifies exercise while generating electricity. Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, presented Rampokids, a nutritious cereal for children aged 2–5, produced from local crops. Federal Polytechnic, Ede, introduced Powermantech, while Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, unveiled Ecopave.

Other prototypes included Orufe, a cassava shredder developed by the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze; and Agromareh, an AI-driven crop health monitoring tool from the Federal College of Education, Pankshin.

The Federal College of Education, Katsina, showcased Agromech, a motorised hand-guided two-row planter, while Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, presented Solarmilkpro, a solar-powered milking machine.

The University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, Imo State, introduced Agronova Dryer, a hybrid solar drying system. Modibo Adama University unveiled Flo-Vend, an automated menstrual product vending machine, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, presented Tripleshield Agro, an eco-friendly pesticide technology.

The programme featured training of the lecturers on business development, business modelling, product refinement, technical mentorship, prototype design, and fabrication.

It also showcased “Deal Rooms” where innovators engaged directly with investors, industry leaders, and potential commercial partners to explore, uptake partnerships, and investment opportunities.

Highpoints of the event were a live pitch session, presentation of the leaderboard award/my tertiary story, the ordeal of an innovator-stage play, Ecolab showcase, and presentation of patents and copyrights.

The Showcase also featured Deal Rooms, where innovators will engage directly with investors, industry leaders, and potential commercial partners to explore uptake, partnerships, and investment opportunities.

The Federal Government has launched the Federal Government Tertiary Institution Governance and Transparency Platform (FTIGTP).

The government said that the platform will promote transparency, accountability, good governance, restore public trust and enable evidence-based policies and reforms aimed at improving performance-based funding decisions and resource allocation.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa unveiled the platform on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, the FTIGTP will serve as a single, nationwide source of accurate data and financial information about tertiary institutions.

Alausa explained that for the first time, Nigeria will have a unified platform that offers real-time visibility into students’ enrolment; government funding – capital, recurrent, and personnel; local and international research grants attracted by institutions; tertiary education trust fund (TETFund) allocations; Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) interventions and performance indicators that allow for benchmarking across institutions.

Alausa admonished all tertiary institutions to comply with the mandatory data submission schedule (first quarter of every year) on the platform.

According to the Minister, all institutions will be required to get a clearance certificate from the Director ICT annually before the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) ICT intervention will be released to them.

He stated: “As part of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) commitment to enhancing accountability and good governance, the Ministry has promised to implement a transparent system that will allow Nigerians to see how resources are used and the benefits gained from investments in our tertiary education system.

“This platform will enhance financial transparency, improve resource allocation, promote accountability, discourage the misuse of funds, and foster trust in the management of our tertiary system.

“To our Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and the entire management of our institutions: you are vital to the success of this platform. Your cooperation, prompt reporting, and dedication will have a significant impact on how this innovation affects the sector and the nation.

“Let me emphasise that FTIGTP is not just a platform; it is a reform instrument to promote transparency, efficiency, and results-based management of resources across the education sector and going forward.

“Financial reporting on the platform will be part of the institutional performance evaluation by local and international partners. Funding, support, and interventions will increasingly be tied to transparency and accountability metrics.

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“All institutions will be required to get a clearance certificate from the Director ICT annually before TETFUND ICT intervention is released to them.”

The Minister added: “Today’s launch is a bold step towards rebuilding public trust, ensuring accountability, and positioning Nigerian tertiary education as a globally competitive system rooted in transparency and quality outcomes. Let us work together to sustain this transformation. The students of this nation, and the world, are watching.

“History will remember us as the administration that restored integrity, innovation, and excellence to our tertiary education system.”

Vice Chancellor of Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Prof. Anthony Akinwale, has urged government to support private universities.

Speaking at a briefing to herald the seventh convocation, Akinwale said 148 students would get first degrees, while 21 would receive diplomas.

He said 22 had first-class honours, 57 in second class upper, 57 in second class lower and 12 in third class division.

The vice chancellor lamented exclusion of private universities from Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and others..

“If we want to build a nation, we must build education. Unfortunately, government has not sufficiently invested in university education, public or private. We need to spend more on education spend on running government.”

He said we need more universities, contrary to belief the nation had too many. ‘’Our population of over 230 million warrants more institutions.’’

Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, also urged Tertiary Education Trust Fund support for private universities, to boost academic performance.

Gambari, who spoke at the institution’s 17th Convocation, where 667 students graduated for 2024/2025 session, said governments should also waive taxes for private universities. He lamented that most of them were struggling to survive due to the high costs of goods and services caused by removal of fuel subsidy.

He cited an instance where monthly electricity bill, about one million naira two years ago, rose to over N20 million.

Gambari stressed that costs for security, solar energy, water, Internet and WiFi subscriptions, library resources, and other overheads have increased.

He emphasised that the quality of education provided by private universities in the country cannot be overemphasised, especially in bridging the widening gap of admission-seeking youths, where government or state-owned institutions are unable to admit them. He appealed to the Federal Government to view private universities as partners in progress rather than merely revenue generators.

The Chancellor cited an instance where the university’s monthly electricity bill, which was around One Million Naira two years ago, has now risen to over N20 million. He emphasised that costs for the provision of security, solar energy, a constant water supply, internet and WiFi subscriptions, library resources, and several other overheads have significantly increased.

Gambari said: “I charge the Federal Government to include private universities in TETFUND. It should find ways and means to support private universities through competitive research grants and ensure that such support is spread across the six geopolitical zones in the country. Let me conclude by stressing that the government should see private universities as partners in progress rather than money spinners.

“It is therefore apposite to propose to the Federal, State and Local Governments, a tax waiver for private universities, given their huge contributions to human capital development of Nigerian citizens. Many of these academic institutions are overburdened and struggling with financial difficulties. The government should value their social responsibility and the value they add to their communities.

“At this juncture, attention of government must be drawn to the challenges private universities encounter daily. For instance, our monthly electricity bill alone at Crescent University, which used to be around One Million Naira two years ago, is now over N20m.

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This includes the provision of security, solar power, a constant water supply, internet and WiFi subscription, library resources, and several other overheads. It is the responsibility of the constituted authority to ensure that private universities survive for the good of society.

“Contributions of private universities to the nation’s development cannot be overemphasised. They have, no doubt, closed to an appreciable extent, the widening gap of admission-seeking youths in our country. These institutions have also substantially contributed to the provision of quality education at the tertiary level in Nigeria. The quality of private university graduates is seen in the performance of Crescent University alumni who replicated their exceptional academic performance in European and American universities with distinctions and PhD grades at the Master’s level.”

The Vice Chancellor of Crescent University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, also appealed to the FG to urgently extend the benefits of TETFUND grants and projects to private universities across the country. He expressed regret over the large amount of money spent by the administrative body of the institutions to run school activities during these current economic hardships.

Gbajabiamila, who congratulated the overall best graduating students for the 2024/2025 academic session, Ganiyu Feranmi of the Bola Ajibola College of Law, said that the school had, over the years, provided excellent brains in various fields of endeavours celebrated within and outside the country for their contributions to research and human development.

He said that the university had continued to uphold zero tolerance for examination malpractices, indecent dressing, cultism, drug abuse, anti-social vices, among the students, while urging parents to counsel their children on the importance of being law-abiding, and challenging the graduands to confront challenges head-on through hard work and innovation in order to achieve greatness in life.

Earlier, the Proprietor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Crescent University, Prince Muhammad Ajibola, emphasised that his late father, Prince Bola Ajibola’s legacy, continues to motivate the management to enhance the academic performance of students through advanced learning in modern technology, innovations, and research to make them exceptional in their respective fields.