TETFund holds exhibition to showcase research, inventions

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has concluded plans to hold a five-day exhibition to showcase inventions, innovations and technologies that its researchers/scholars have achieved over the years.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, told journalists at a press conference, in Abuja, yesterday, that the strategic research fair which will be held in Abuja in November is expected to gather and showcase many of the concluded practical research results and technologies that can be manufactured and/or are scalable.

He said the exhibition was also designed to encourage Nigerians, particularly the youths to come, see and use such technologies for establishing viable enterprises for the provision of goods and services, with the net effect of massive generation of jobs, creation of wealth and the broad enhancement of the Nigerian economy.

He confirmed that TETFund has inaugurated a committee that will urgently take stock of all research output technologies from Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Research Institutes and others, and document them; screen and select candidate to be showcased at the Research Fair with emphasis on technologies that will immediately impact upon and grow the national economy.

He added that the committee would cluster selected technologies into sectors to ease exhibition and catalyse the interest of potential investors and entrepreneurs; and also identify, collaborate, reach out to and closely work with all relevant stakeholders, notably, business support, funding and IP management for success and effectiveness of the fair. “The Committee will also facilitate the provision of adequate information and guidance to the public on all aspects of the fair to ensure massive participation and impact; and undertake other activities that can ensure success, effectiveness and high impact of the fair as desired,” he said.

Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, in his remarks, expressed profound appreciation to the minister for planning the fair.

He said: “We see the efforts towards ensuring that we harness all the potential and all the achievements that have been recorded in the area of innovation and creativity. As the Minister said, it is open to all Nigerians.

“It is not limited to our beneficiary institutions, so research institutes, private inventors, and digital creators that have done anything that will lead to creation of jobs, the development of products and services, or the improvement of the lives of our people, are encouraged to come and showcase their products to the world.”