By Martin Odiete

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund has moved to increase enforcement of Research and Development in the Nigeria system by inaugurating the committee charged with the responsibility of driving the mandate.

Inaugurating the committee at TETFund corporate headquarter in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary, Suleiman Elias Bogoro noted with emphases that the key measurement parameters for Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, (ERGP) the anchor for the Nigeria transformation blueprint is dependent on science, Engineering and Technology, (SET), noting further that the Advancement of SET is independent on Research and Development, (R&D).

The TETFund Executive Secretary argued further that Innovative Research and its subsequent commercialization is the drive that moves and nurture the engine of modern economic growth-stressing that it is an important drive to poverty alleviation.

He said, “The power of commercialization of R&D result has been recognized by the developed and developing countries. The nature and demands of the modern economy is the fundamental stimulus for University-industrial relationship. The investment in research and development and human capital is central for economic success,”

He lamented that Nigeria rating of 0.02 % in the level of R&D infrastructure and productivity is totally unacceptable stating that there is great need for a national recalibration and resensitization of the operations and policies targeting a sustainable innovative research and development operations.

The committee made up of very notable Nigeria scholars home and abroad has as chairman, prof. Placid Njoku, an erudite scholar and one of African’s most prominent intellectual and academics has as its terms of reference;

1-To provide strategic leadership internally to the process of implementing TETFund R&D mandate amongst the staff of the Fund by,

1. Creating awareness and sensitization of R&D and innovation paradigm shift in Fund-all staff,
2. Development Administrative and Technical capacity building framework for not only the TETFund R&D department staff capabilities.

2- Development and Designs of Intervention framework

1. Mapping of national innovation ecosystems
2. Development of strategic plan to align with TETFund’s R&D paradigm shift
3. Develop Framework for Capacity building workshop for TEI’S

3- Lead the strategic integration of ES’S sustainable R&D and Innovation recommended Framework with Key holders; TEL’s, strategic commercialization partners and Government National Laboratories.

Other top member of the committee include, a Nigerian US based professor, Ibrahim Katampe. He is a professor of chemistry and currently the Director for the Innovation and Technology Incubation in the center of Excellence in Emerging Technology, (CEET0, Central State University, Califonia, U.S.A. He is the vice chairman of the committee.

The committee also boasts of another top Nigerian, Temitope Toogun, the head of Human Capital Commission, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, (NESG), is a thought leader in the human capital development sector.