Alausa Urges Universities to Commercialize Research Results

Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, challenged Nigerian universities and research institutes to contribute to the country's ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy by commercializing research results. He made this statement during the presentation of the proposed campus initiative by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

Alausa stressed that research outputs should not remain as academic publications or prototypes but should evolve into marketable products. He directed institutions to collaborate with NASENI to foster job creation and economic growth.

The NASENI campus initiative aims to connect researchers with advanced laboratories and investment opportunities. Alausa also encouraged NASENI to explore lithium battery production to support Nigeria's renewable energy efforts.

Bayero University Kano (BUK) was cited as a successful example, with two projects—the sweet-potato-based starch derivatives and reusable sanitary pads—reaching the final stage of NASENI’s commercialization grant.