I-FAIR gets funding, TETFund to back student innovators
The Israel-Nigeria Innovation Fellowship secured funding for its fifth edition, while TETFund announced plans to establish innovation facilities in 60 tertiary institutions.
At the innovation showcase in Abuja, the Embassy of Israel and Nigerian partners announced secured funding for the fifth edition of the Israel-Nigeria Innovation Fellowship (I-FAIR). Concurrently, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) announced plans to establish innovation facilities in 60 tertiary institutions, offering grants of up to ₦50 million for student innovators.
The I-FAIR programme has been a successful platform for fostering innovation and collaboration between Israeli and Nigerian researchers. The funding for the fifth edition reflects the growing importance of the partnership. TETFund’s initiative to establish innovation facilities and provide grants is a significant investment in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
This echoes the 2010s innovation hubs, which also sought to foster entrepreneurship and creativity. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a government recognising the importance of innovation.
The winners: Nigerian researchers and students, who gain access to funding and facilities; and the Nigerian innovation ecosystem, which gains momentum. The losers: the institutions not selected; and the Nigerian government, which must sustain the investment.
Bottom Line: Innovation funding is flowing into Nigerian universities. The goal is to nurture the next generation of innovators. The question is whether the funding will reach the ground.