TETFUND Builds on Landmark 2024 Success, Opens Nationwide Call for Second National Research Fair
ABUJA, September 14, 2026 — Riding on the acclaimed success of its maiden edition, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has opened a nationwide call for participation in the Second National Research Fair and Exhibition (NRFE) 2026, reinforcing its emergence as the driving force behind Nigeria’s research-to-market revolution.
The circular, signed by the Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, invites applications for exhibition and commercial participation under the theme “Research to Market: Driving Innovation, Enterprise and National Prosperity.” The event will hold from November 24 to 27, 2026, at the Abuja Trade and Convention Centre, Airport Road, Abuja, from 9.00 am daily.
In a deliberate step-change from conventional science fairs, TETFUND said the 2026 event is structured as a deal-making platform, not a display gallery, convening innovators, investors and buyers under one roof and within one deal cycle. The Fund declared that success would be measured by the transactions initiated, the term sheets signed, the licences negotiated, and the ventures funded, a result-driven benchmark that marks a bold and welcome departure in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
The renewed drive rests on a proven foundation. The maiden NRFE, held between November 17 and 21, 2024, at Eagle Square, Abuja, was widely adjudged a resounding success and represented a significant landmark in TETFUND’s quest to promote groundbreaking research. The inaugural fair showcased hundreds of research products and facilitated partnerships between researchers, manufacturers, and investors, with some innovations finding their way into the Nigerian market.
The quality of the 2024 exhibits underscored the depth of Nigeria’s untapped intellectual capital. Among the standout innovations were a sensor-based claymore mine designed to strengthen counter-terrorism operations, a long-range surveillance drone developed by the Nigerian Army, and mini electric vehicles alongside a seven-seater tricycle powered by solar energy.
According to the Executive Secretary, the inaugural fair bridged the long-standing gap between research and commercial application, providing a rare platform for researchers to engage industry players and investors directly. It was on the strength of that performance, he noted, that the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Fund approved the reconstitution and expansion of the organising committee to accommodate a broader spectrum of stakeholders, a clear vote of confidence in the initiative’s impact.
Buoyed by that momentum, TETFUND has significantly expanded the 2026 edition, opening participation to all Nigerians irrespective of educational background or institutional affiliation. The move reflects the Fund’s determination to position the fair as a national innovation marketplace where ideas attract investment, innovations become businesses, and research contributes directly to economic transformation. This year’s edition will also feature an international symposium expected to draw researchers, innovation experts and investors from across Africa and beyond, reinforcing TETFUND’s leadership in research funding and innovation on the continent.
The call for participation is deliberately wide-reaching. Eligible participants include researchers and research teams from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and research institutes; innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators; startups, SMEs and manufacturers; government agencies and MDAs, including the Armed Forces and defence research institutions; angel investors, ventures capital and private equity firms; technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) offices; and community, students, diaspora and creative-industry innovators. Sectors covered span agriculture and food chain supply systems, health and biotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics, mining, energy and climate, the digital economy, defence and space technologies, Cyber-security, the marine and blue economy, and other emerging fields.
Participants stand to gain direct access to capital and buyers, structured matchmaking with manufacturers and corporate innovation teams, exhibition stands and live demonstrations, investor pitch sessions, one-on-one deal rooms, and participation in an Innovation Challenge and Commercialisation Clinic.
The submission portal opens on September 14 and closes on October 2, 2026. Applicants must complete a Universal Screening Questionnaire accompanying the circular, available on the TETFUND and NRFE portals, and submit supporting documents online. TETFUND cautioned that misrepresentation of technology readiness, intellectual-property status or institutional affiliation would be grounds for disqualification, and that accepted participants must comply with exhibition, safety and IP-disclosure guidelines.
With a successful first edition already behind it and a bolder, more inclusive second edition in prospect, TETFUND appears firmly on course to convert Nigeria’s abundant research output into products, jobs, and national prosperity.
