Category: TETFAIR

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Architect Sonny Echono, led a delegation of TETFund officials to Innov8 Hub. The purpose of the tour was to inspect projects being developed at the ongoing TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp.

TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp tour

During the tour, the Executive Secretary was impressed by the level of innovation and creativity displayed by the participants. He expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far and pledged TETFund’s continuous support for such initiatives.

In his words: “This is an opportunity we have to make a difference in the lives of our people and to transform our country from potential to reality in terms of what we can do about the economy; how we can grow it and how we can share the benefits.”

The Prototype Development Bootcamp is a phase of TETFAIR; an initiative aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. Read more on TETFAIR: https://innov8hub.ng/tetfair/

The Impression

Participants also had their say, as they waxed lyrical about TETFund and Innov8 Hub. They expressed their appreciation over the platform given for them to translate their ideas into innovation, solution and enterprise. Participants also testified that prior to TETFAIR, their research ended up being published in academic papers. However, TETFAIR has helped them translate these ideas into pragmatic and functional solutions.

The Bootcamp is an intensive 2-week program that provides participants with the necessary skills, knowledge and resources to develop their ideas into working prototypes.

The prototypes developed would be taken for testing in respective locations before further modifications and refinements are made.

The tour of TETFund officials is a clear indication of their commitment to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in in Nigeria. TETFAIR is a great opportunity for academics and researchers to showcase their innovative ideas and receive support from TETFund to bring their ideas to life.

TETFAIR commenced its Prototype Development Bootcamp today at Innov8 Hub. The Bootcamp comes after the market validation phase and is designed to run over 12 days. During this period, participants would work with mentors, experts, and project managers in developing their prototypes, with the aim of creating functional solutions to real-world problems.

TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp

The Bootcamp is an intensive training program where participants would collaborate with mentors and experts to develop their prototypes. It is a hands-on program that emphasizes practical learning and provides participants with the skills and tools necessary to build functional prototypes. The Bootcamp would involve building prototypes/high risk components, planning of the Proof of concept (POC) process, learning about financial modelling and mentorship sessions.

TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp: The Role of Mentors and Experts

Mentors and experts would play a crucial role in the Prototype Development Bootcamp. They would provide guidance and support to participants, helping them refine their ideas and turn them into functional prototypes. The mentors and experts are experienced professionals from various fields, including design, engineering, and business. They work closely with participants, providing feedback and insights that help them improve their prototypes. The participants would have access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can help them create these prototypes.

Benefits of the Prototype Development Phase

The Prototype Development Bootcamp offers numerous benefits to participants. Firstly, the Bootcamp provides an opportunity for researchers and academics to turn their research ideas into functional prototypes. This, in turn, helps to bridge the gap between research and development, providing a pathway for innovative ideas to reach the market. Additionally, the Prototype Development Bootcamp equips participants with the skills and tools necessary to build functional prototypes, a critical skill for anyone interested in innovation and product development. The Bootcamp also fosters collaboration and networking among participants, mentors, and experts, creating a community of innovators and problem-solvers.

Conclusion

The TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp is an essential component of TETFAIR. It provides an opportunity for participants to turn their research ideas into functional prototypes. With the guidance and support of mentors and experts, participants gain the skills and tools necessary to build functional prototypes, a critical skill for anyone interested in innovation and product development. The Bootcamp fosters collaboration and networking among participants, mentors, and experts, creating a community of innovators and problem-solvers. Overall, the TETFAIR Prototype Development Bootcamp is key in translating ideas into innovation, solutions and enterprise.

TETFAIR Market Validation commences. The TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR) commenced its maiden edition at Innov8 Hub on the 5^th of December, 2022.

TETFAIR is an initiative of TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Hub. The programme is designed for the Nigerian academia from public institutions with ideas and research they intend to turn into Innovation & solution for the Nigerian innovative and technological value-chain.

Participants are currently in the market-validation phase of the year-long programme. This phase is fundamental to the development of new technologies. It involves determining demand for their suggested solution products and getting a better grasp of potential users’ challenges. Validating business ideas enables them to appraise their solution products or services, as well as determine business model sustainability.

Following the Bootcamp in December 2022, participants have been working remotely on their validation process. This involves traveling to meet with potential users, sending out online questionnaires, and field trips to conduct research.

TARGET MARKET VALIDATION COMMENCES

As the TETFAIR market validation commences, some teams have already made field trips to interview potential customers, such as the AniMed team. They visited Ibadan in Oyo State, Nigeria, for an insightful market validation of their Digital Non-Invasive Automatic Livestock Measuring Device.

The SmartAgro team arrived Alabata village to conduct a market validation for their NIMTrack project, with over 20 farmers present. The participants comprised leaders of the Cattle Farmers Association , all engrossed in a very educative and revealing market validation session.

After the TETFAIR market validation, an online mentorship session ensued with a review of the outcomes of the validation process, which translated into insights and decisions on the development of solutions.

Participants also had an online engagement with Mr. Itzik Ronen, CTO of Innov8, where they learned about market requirements documents (MRDs), which are strategic documents written by product managers or product marketing managers to help define the market’s requirements or demand for a particular product. PRDs are used in the product development process to communicate what capabilities must be included in a product. Additionally, they are presently constructing PRD and MRD.

Top government officials, academics, and others attended the opening event of The TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research- TETFAIR.

The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, the Executive Secretary TETFund, Architect Sonny Echono, and other top government officials, academics, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry arrived at Innov8 Hub on Thursday 14^th December 2022, for the opening event of TETFAIR.

TETFAIR, a collaborative initiative of TETFund and Innov8 Hub is a 12-month programme for academics and researchers who intend to turn ideas and research into innovation, solution, and enterprise.

In his remark, the Honourable Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, reassured stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to the advancement of scientific innovation in Nigeria. According to Mamora who was represented by Mrs. Monilola Udoh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, TETFAIR is in line with Executive Order No. 5 of President Muhammadu Buhari, which calls for integrating science, technology, and innovation into daily life in order to promote national development.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, declared TETFAIR open. He stated that the project would assist address shortcomings and propose answers that will help Nigeria meet international demands. The Honourable Minister, represented by the Minister of State for Education Goodluck Nanah Opiah, applauded TETFund for the effort and added that developed nations rely on science and technology to achieve their status.

In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of TETFund gave insight into the TETFAIR initiative in collaboration with Innov8 Hub. Architect Echono indicated that TETFAIR was part of the country’s efforts to institutionalize Research & Development in Nigeria.

“The TETFAIR programme is being conducted by TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Technology Hub, a firm championing the advancement of Science and Technology Education in Nigeria.”

“The programme is designed to support the advancement of solution-driven research, innovation and sustainable development in Nigeria. Being a year-long programme, TETFAIR is aimed at providing a unique opportunity for our academics and researchers in Nigerian Universities to transform their ideas into market-driven solutions, including the development and fabrication of prototypes.”

“Through the programme, selected teams of researchers and academic staff with promising ideas for innovative solutions in the programme’s areas of focus, are being taken through a journey that combines technology and product development along with venture creation.”

In his address, the Executive Secretary of the NUC Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, reminded the members of academia present of the government’s mandate to provide infrastructure, tax reduction and multiple waivers to create an enabling environment for members of the academia to conduct research.

The Communications adviser at Innov8 Hub, Deji Ige, intimated to the attendants the core objectives of the Innov8 Hub philosophy.

“In the 3 years of our existence, we have become the epicentre of innovation, invention, solution and start-up incubation in Nigeria; aided considerably by critical collaborations with visionary and resilient partners like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, the Embassy of the State of Israel in Nigeria, MakeLab, Zell Entrepreneurship and others, who share our vision of inculcating the culture of innovation and venture creation in Nigerians; to gradually transform Nigeria into a start-up nation.

“So far, we have helped Nigerians develop and perfect over 72 prototypes ready for commercialisation, we have mentored over 150 innovators, inventors and venture creators, among whom are academics and researchers. We have been involved in the emergence of 15 solid start-ups.”

Social media frenzy erupts as the TETFUnd Alliance for Innovative Research-TETFAIR, enters the second week of its Bootcamp phase.

Over the previous days, participants comprising academics and researchers from public Universities in Nigeria, have been left astonished by TETFAIR and the prospects to come over the next 12 months. They have taken to social media to proclaim their elation. The facilitators and resource persons have not been left out of the frenzy as well, with posts on their respective TETFAIR Bootcamp experiences.

On LinkedIn, one participant, Dr. Elias Elemike posted: “a sweet journey begins when you have the passion and you are eager to get to the end.” He also mentioned some of the mentors and facilitators in his post, expressing his gratitude for the knowledge imparted.

Also on LinkedIn, the Director of Programmes & Partnerships at Innov8 Hub, Neta Hainen’s post was quoted: “When your mentees become your mentors, grateful for the opportunity to work with the greatest minds in Nigeria at TETFAIR programme, an initiative of Tertiary Education Trust Fund at Innov8 Hub, Abuja.

On Twitter, one of the mentors, Farmer Samson Ogbole posted: “Humbled to be called upon as a mentor at Innov8 Hub for TETFAIR, a TETFund-funded acado-preneurs, brightest ideas from the lecturers of Nigerian Universities, as we look to turn research into business.”

Humbled to be called upon as a mentor at @Innov8Hub for TETFAIR, a TETFUND funded acado-preneurs (brightest ideas from the lecturers of Nigerian universities, as we work to turn research into business).

774 universities, the selected are:#TheWizardFarmer #FarmerSamson pic.twitter.com/TxTZvg4U7S

— Farmer Samson Ogbole (@Samsonprolific) December 11, 2022

Facebook wasn’t left out of the social media frenzy, as Team 4 members of TETFAIR Prof. O.T Arogundade, Prof. O.A Isah, and Dr. A. Abayomi-Alli, all working on an innovation ‘Nim Track’, made a collaborative post of their Bootcamp experience on Facebook: “It has been a huge moment of capacity development at the TETFAIR programme, organised by TETFund and Innov8 hub. Our team of professionals has been going through a strategic growth session and maximising the sessions to showcase and improve our solutions.”

Dr. Uloma Onyeka, a specialist in Food & Science Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and member of Team 6 in TETFAIR, also took to Facebook to post: “I am personally excited and elevated because of this programme. My academic journey will never be the same again. No, not after what Innov8 experts have loaded me with. Thanks to TETFund and Innov8 Hub.”

Participants of the TETFAIR Bootcamp have been involved in self-immersing activities and engagements from the very moment they arrived Innov8 Hub, till present. The TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research, TETFAIR, Bootcamp entered its 5^th day on Friday the 9^th of December 2022g.

TETFAIR, an initiative of TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, is a 12-month-long capacity-building programme, created for academics and researchers from Universities in Nigeria, to translate ideas into Innovation, Solution & Enterprise.

Participants in the Bootcamp have been engrossed in activities leading to a crescendo of impactful engagements, with courses by mentors and facilitators.

Participants from selected teams have given their views on the activities of the TETFAIR Bootcamp, lauding the TETFund initiative. They also spoke about the prospects of the year-long programme, which would be conducted both in person and virtually at different periods.

Speaking to Dr. Adeniji Oluwasola David from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Ibadan, he described his experience at the Bootcamp as “wonderful, interesting, captivating, and motivating.” He was also full of praise for Innov8 Hub, professing the global standards of the infrastructure & environment, as well as the facilitators, mentors, and staff, whom he described as “supportive, insightful, and efficient.” He also gave a snippet of his team’s project, a health-based idea with the goal of reducing deafness to the barest minimum.

Another participant of the TETFAIR Bootcamp, Nneoma Aneke from the department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, described her Bootcamp experience as “phenomenal and interesting.” She was at a loss for further adjectives to quantify her amazing experience. She also lauded the fantastic environment, top-notch staff, and resource persons of TETFAIR. On the initiative, she claimed it was the best collaboration she has seen in academia, as it has helped build her capacity to streamline ideas into pragmatic structures. At the end of the Bootcamp, the Agric & Bioresources lecturer said she would take back to her institution, the knowledge transfer, networking, relationships built, and the light she has received, in order to shine it in her institution and pass the torch to the upcoming generation of scholars, researchers, and academics.

The TETFAIR Bootcamp participants’ activities is only a fragment of the 12-month capacity-building engagement of the TETFAIR initiative, where members of academia are expected to translate ideas into Innovation, Solution & Enterprise.

The TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR) commenced on the 5th of December 2022, at Innov8 Hub. TETFAIR is a year-long initiative of TETFund, in collaboration with Innov8 Hub. It is a programme created for academics and researchers from Government-owned Universities across Nigeria with innovative ideas.

After a rigorous process conducted by international experts, participants were selected with the goal of translating research into solutions, in accordance with global best practices.

TETFAIR began with an introduction detailing the overview of the programme’s core objectives, led by Neta Hanien and Uri Mestechkin. The participants were briefed on the scheme of things and introduced to the act of pitching, aided by the display of a sample video for a successful pitch. They were also urged to be accurate with facts and statistics in the process of drafting their pitches.

The Heads of the Department at Innov8 Hub and their respective units were introduced to the participants, who were subsequently assigned to work with different teams for the duration of the programme.

Participants went through courses on ‘Venture Creation within the Nigerian context’, ‘The Problem and Where do Good Ideas come from’, and concluded the day working with their respective teams.