The Federal Ministry of Education, through its Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee, and TETFund inaugurated the North-East Zonal Commercialisation Intelligence and Ecosystem Engagement Workshop in Gombe on Friday, July 24, 2026.
The two-day workshop formed the fourth of six nationwide zonal engagements designed to strengthen Nigeria’s research commercialisation ecosystem and transform innovations, inventions and research outputs into commercially viable enterprises and industries.
Participants included policymakers, researchers, academics, industry leaders, investors, development partners, innovation hubs and financial institutions from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, promoting collaboration for innovation-driven economic growth nationwide.
Declaring the workshop open, Gombe State Commissioners for Science and Technology and Education described the initiative as timely, urging participants toward active engagement while highlighting the state’s enormous innovation potential.
Acting RICC Chairman, TF Okujagu, described the North-East as resilient and strategically important, stressing stronger collaboration to transform research into practical solutions, enterprise development and sustainable economic growth across Nigeria.
Okujagu said Nigeria possesses abundant researchers and innovators but suffers weak connections between academia, industry, investors and government, limiting commercialisation of research despite significant scientific and technological achievements nationwide.
He explained that the proposed National Commercialisation Intelligence System would provide a unified digital platform linking researchers, industries, investors, policymakers and financial institutions through real-time commercialisation intelligence and strategic collaboration.
According to Okujagu, the proposed ecosystem would aggregate research outputs, patents, funding opportunities and market intelligence, enabling technology transfer, evidence-based policymaking, stronger partnerships, job creation and national economic prosperity.
Delivering the keynote, Professor Seth Akutson urged researchers to prioritise solutions addressing societal challenges, stressing research achieves meaningful value only when transformed into products, technologies, enterprises and impactful public services.
Professor Akutson advocated stronger collaboration among universities, research institutes, government, industries and development partners, emphasising intellectual property protection, innovation financing and scalable solutions capable of improving Nigeria’s global competitiveness significantly.
Presenting the National Research-to-Commercialisation Initiative, Engr. Umar Bindir outlined plans for a digital repository connecting innovations, patents, funding opportunities, investors, industries and policymakers, reducing fragmentation within Nigeria’s research ecosystem.
Participants commended TETFund’s sustained investments in research infrastructure, academic development and innovation, describing its partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education as pivotal to advancing research commercialisation and economic diversification.
