Nigeria’s innovation and skills landscape has received a boost as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the former’s headquarters in Abuja.
The partnership seeks to address a long-standing challenge, which is ensuring that the research and innovation emerging from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are effectively applied to real industry needs.
According to both parties, the signing marked the beginning of a strategic collaboration designed to align academic research with industry demands, support innovation-driven enterprises and startups and strengthen national skills development.
Executive Secretary, TETFund, Sonny Echono, highlighted that the partnership evolved from NACCIMA’s proactive engagement to explore new areas of collaboration.
“This MoU provides a robust framework to promote industry-relevant research, build dynamic innovation ecosystems and create practical opportunities for students and researchers through industrial exposure, training and mentorship,” he noted.
NACCIMA President, Dr Jani Ibrahim, described the MoU as a significant step towards bridging the long-standing gap between academia and industry.
Ibrahim insisted that Nigeria’s economic competitiveness must be anchored on knowledge, technology, skills and enterprise, adding that the partnership strengthened the national skills pipeline, supports startup development and enhances productivity across sectors.
He assured that the partnership would deliver tangible benefits, including joint innovation through collaborative research projects; the establishment of industry-focused research and incubation centres; expanded opportunities for internships and industrial attachments promote technology transfer and digital economy initiatives, as well as enhance policy advocacy and knowledge exchange between academia and industry.
TETFund and NACCIMA have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the signed MoU delivers measurable, sustainable outcomes for Nigeria’s education and industrial sectors.
