Alausa Tasks Universities, NASENI To Turn Research Into Businesses, Jobs

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has urged 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, Directors of Postgraduate Studies and officials of the Federal Ministry of Education’s Directorate of University Education on the proposed partnership between universities and the NASENI Campus.

He said the initiative would connect researchers to advanced laboratories, prototyping facilities, industry and investment, creating a pathway for innovations to move from the laboratory to commercial production.

The minister stressed that research outputs should not end as academic publications or prototypes, urging Nigerian researchers to patent their inventions, develop marketable products and partner with investors to establish viable companies.

He said stronger collaboration between universities and industry was essential to converting Nigeria’s human capital into economic prosperity and supporting the country’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

Alausa urged NASENI to establish stronger affiliations with universities around its development centres, noting that institutions had a large pool of researchers, lecturers and students whose expertise could complement the agency’s work.

He also tasked the agency with supporting patent registration, linking researchers with venture capital and facilitating the establishment of university spin-off companies.

The minister further urged NASENI to explore lithium processing and battery manufacturing as Nigeria expands its renewable energy and industrial capacity.

Earlier, the EVC/CEO of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the agency was working to bridge the gap between research and production in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to move innovations beyond prototypes to commercial production.

Halilu said the proposed NASENI Campus, located within a 100-hectare free trade zone, would provide an integrated environment for researchers, academics, prototyping facilities, industries and commercialisation opportunities.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, said the institution’s existing partnership with NASENI had demonstrated the potential of the model.

He said the collaboration had produced an integrated agriculture incubation centre, greenhouse facilities, automated poultry systems and tissue culture laboratories supporting undergraduate and postgraduate research.

The Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof Haruna Musa, said the university was exploring further collaboration with NASENI in nanotechnology, vaccinology, toxinology and mathematical modelling.

He disclosed that two BUK research projects had reached the final stage of NASENI’s research commercialisation grant process, including a reusable sanitary pad project and the commercial production of sweet potato-based starch derivatives.

Alausa reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with NASENI, universities and other stakeholders to establish a functional pipeline linking research and innovation to investment, production and job creation.

He said the objective under the Renewed Hope Agenda was not merely to produce more research but to ensure that Nigeria’s knowledge, skills and innovations translated into products, enterprises, jobs and sustainable prosperity.