…targets boosting food production

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, through the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee (RICC), in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), commenced the North-Central Zonal National Commercialisation Intelligence and Ecosystem Engagement Workshop, from 20–21 July 2026, in Jos, Plateau State to boost food production in the region.

The two-day workshop is the third in a series of six zonal engagements across Nigeria aimed at strengthening the National Research and Commercialisation Intelligence Ecosystem and accelerating the transformation of research outputs, innovations, and inventions into commercially viable products, services, enterprises, and industries.

The workshop brought together policymakers, researchers, academics, industry leaders, investors, development partners, innovation hubs, financial institutions, and other stakeholders from across the North-Central geopolitical zone comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Basically, they are to identify opportunities for deeper collaboration and develop practical strategies for advancing research commercialisation in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Chairman, Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee (RICC), Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, described the North-Central region as a critical pillar in Nigeria’s economic and innovation landscape, which Okujagu noted its vast agricultural potential, intellectual capital, and strategic location, and popularly referred to as the nation’s food basket, and also possesses significant research capacity capable of driving innovation-led industrialisation. 

The RICC boss also explained that the workshop forms part of a broader national effort to gather intelligence, validate regional realities, and develop an evidence-based National Research-to-Commercialisation Framework that reflects the unique strengths and priorities of every geopolitical zone.

However, he lamented the lack of a coordinated ecosystem that connects researchers, innovators, industry, investors, government, and the market, saying that the proposed National Research and Commercialisation Intelligence Ecosystem will provide a unified digital platform that aggregates research outputs, innovations, patents, industry needs, funding opportunities, and investment intelligence into a single national repository.

 According to him, the platform will be a STRATEGIC NATIONAL ASSET that will enable stronger collaboration, facilitate technology transfer, support evidence-based policymaking, and accelerate the commercialisation of research into products, enterprises, jobs, and national prosperity.

 This is the Agenda of Government, driven by the Honourable Minister of Education and TETFund to promote research commercialisation, drive economic development and diversification and make Nigeria not only relevant but competitive in the global knowledge-driven economy. 

Delivering the keynote presentation on ‘Research Commercialisation: Bridging Knowledge, Industry and National Prosperity’, Prof Seth Akutson underscored the urgent need to reposition research as a strategic driver of Nigeria’s economic transformation. 

He observed that despite producing thousands of research outputs annually, the country continues to derive limited economic value because innovations often remain within laboratories and academic journals instead of reaching industry and the marketplace. 

He stressed that knowledge only becomes truly valuable when it is translated into commercially viable products, services, businesses, and solutions that improve lives and strengthen national competitiveness.

He emphasised that successful research commercialisation requires stronger collaboration among universities, research institutes, industry, government, investors, innovation hubs, and development partners. 

Drawing lessons from countries that have successfully transformed research into economic growth, he called for a shift from isolated research activities to an integrated innovation ecosystem where mentorship, technology transfer, intellectual property management, financing, and market access work together to move innovations from discovery to commercial success. 

He also urged participants to see themselves as co-creators of Nigeria’s innovation future, noting that every insight generated during the zonal consultations would contribute to shaping a national framework capable of unlocking Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

Presenting the National Research-to-Commercialisation (R2C) Initiative, Engr Umar Bindir, Member of the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee (RICC), highlighted the strategic importance of building a national ecosystem that systematically connects research institutions with industry and investment opportunities. 

He encouraged universities, research institutes, innovators, private sector organisations, development partners, and policymakers to embrace a shared responsibility in building an innovation ecosystem capable of positioning Nigeria as a globally competitive knowledge economy.

Meanwhile, participants at the workshop commended the Federal Ministry of Education and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for its sustained leadership and strategic investment in strengthening Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem. They noted that beyond supporting research infrastructure and capacity development across tertiary institutions, TETFund has continued to champion initiatives that bridge the longstanding gap between research and industry. 

Through its partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education on the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RICC) initiative, the Fund is laying the foundation for a coordinated national ecosystem that will accelerate the commercialisation of research outputs, stimulate innovation-driven enterprises, create quality jobs, and position research as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and national competitiveness.