The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, has called for greater investment in research and innovation as a strategy for addressing unemployment, insecurity, hunger and other developmental challenges confronting Nigeria.
Echono made the call while delivering a lecture titled “Driving Development Through Research and Innovation” at the Oduduwa Hall of Obafemi Awolowo University.
He noted that many of Nigeria’s challenges can be transformed into opportunities through innovation-driven solutions, stressing that sustainable development depends on the country’s ability to effectively utilize knowledge, technology and research.
According to him, addressing persistent issues such as unemployment, insecurity, healthcare limitations, industrial underdevelopment and technological dependence requires continuous investment in research and innovation systems capable of producing practical solutions tailored to local needs.
“Nigeria’s sustainable development largely depends on how effectively we leverage knowledge, innovation and technology to grow the economy, expand opportunities, create jobs and wealth, develop new products and services, and improve the well-being of our people,” he said.
Echono also commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising research funding and innovation, noting that the administration’s support has strengthened efforts to reposition tertiary institutions as centres of research, development and technological advancement.
He explained that TETFund has increasingly focused its interventions on improving the research and development capacity of higher institutions through research grants, academic staff development programmes, innovation hubs, commercialisation initiatives and entrepreneurship support.
According to him, these interventions are helping to strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem and position universities and other tertiary institutions as key contributors to national development.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Simeon Bamire, said the lecture offered an important platform to discuss ideas capable of deepening research, innovation and sustainable development in Nigeria.
