The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has pledged to support the research and development initiatives of the Defence Research and Development Bureau (RDB) as part of efforts to strengthen national development and security.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, made this known while receiving the Director General of RDB, Rear Admiral K. J. Odubanjo, and his team at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.
Echono said Nigeria must harness all available resources to address pressing challenges such as insecurity, unemployment and overdependence on foreign goods and services. He noted that the military has historically played a critical role in global technological and scientific advancement.
“As a country hungry for development, we must be able to harness all the resources available to us. Traditionally, the military has contributed significantly to technological breakthroughs, including the Internet, GPS, and drone technology, which are now widely applied in civilian life,” he said.
He stressed the need to strengthen collaboration between the military, defence research institutions and civilian agencies, noting that such synergy could accelerate innovation across sectors, including healthcare, transportation and logistics.
Echono disclosed that TETFund has, in the past two years, deliberately focused on bridging existing gaps in research and innovation. He added that the Federal Government recently inaugurated a Committee on the Commercialisation of Research Findings to support the transition of research outputs from prototypes to market-ready products.
“Going forward, all research products will receive support to move from prototypes to actual goods and services for public consumption. Just today, we signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with NACCIMA to jointly promote this agenda,” he said.
He further revealed that TETFund has created a new thematic area dedicated to military and defence research under its National Research Fund Granting Committee, expanding from the previous 13 thematic areas.
“In recognition of the growing importance of defence research, we expect RDB to take up its slot on the committee so it can be represented where critical funding decisions are made,” Echono added.
Earlier, the Director General of RDB, Rear Admiral Odubanjo, said the bureau’s focus under his leadership is to build on existing achievements through strategic partnerships.
“Progress is only possible when we work with the right partners. No institution can operate in isolation,” he said.
Odubanjo explained that RDB is mandated to coordinate defence related research nationwide and strengthen collaboration between military and civilian institutions. He cited examples of successful innovations, including an airboat developed through RDB-supported research and now being requested by the Nigeria Customs Service.
He also disclosed that RDB, in collaboration with private partners, has developed night vision goggles that have been tested, certified and approved, with the Enugu State Government indicating interest in procuring the devices.
The RDB Director General, however, identified inadequate funding as a major challenge to advancing research efforts.
“We have the ideas and the experts, including university researchers we already collaborate with, but research cannot move forward without adequate funding. This is why TETFund’s intervention is vital,” he said.
Odubanjo expressed optimism that continued support from TETFund would strengthen Nigeria’s research capacity and help the country address current security challenges while positioning it for future advancement.