The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has called on Nigerian universities and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to bridge the gap between academic research and the marketplace by converting innovations into businesses, jobs and practical solutions.
Alausa made the call during a presentation to Vice-Chancellors, Directors of Academic Affairs and Directors of Postgraduate Studies on the proposed NASENI Campus partnership with universities.
He said the initiative would connect researchers to advanced laboratories, prototyping facilities, industry and investment, creating a pathway for promising ideas to move from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The Minister stressed that Nigeria must deliberately shift from research to commercialisation to fully harness its human capital, noting that research outputs should not end as academic publications or prototypes.
He urged researchers to patent their inventions, develop marketable products and work with investors to establish viable companies.
Alausa also challenged NASENI to strengthen partnerships with universities around its development centres, saying the institutions have a vast pool of researchers, lecturers and students whose expertise could complement the agency’s work.
He urged the agency to support patenting, link researchers with venture capital and facilitate the creation of university spin-off companies, while exploring opportunities in lithium processing and battery manufacturing.
The EVC/CEO of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the proposed NASENI Campus, located within a 100-hectare free trade zone, was being developed as an integrated environment where researchers, professors, industries and commercialisation opportunities could operate together.
He said the initiative was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to move innovations beyond prototypes to production.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, said the university’s partnership with NASENI had already produced facilities including an integrated agriculture incubation centre, greenhouse facilities, automated poultry systems and tissue culture laboratories.
Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Haruna Musa, disclosed that the institution was exploring collaboration with NASENI in nanotechnology, vaccinology, toxinology and mathematical modelling.
He said two BUK research projects, including a reusable sanitary pad project and commercial production of sweet potato-based starch derivatives, had reached the final stage of NASENI’s research commercialisation grant process.
Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with NASENI, universities and other stakeholders to build a functional pathway from research and innovation to investment, production and job creation.
He said the goal under the Renewed Hope Agenda was to ensure that Nigeria’s knowledge, skills and innovations translated into products, enterprises, jobs and sustainable prosperity.
