The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has pledged support for Defence Research and Development Bureau (RDB) for its research and development plans.
Speaking while receiving the Director General of RDB, Rear Admiral K J Odubanjo and his team in his office recently in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of TETfund, Architect Sonny Echono said “as a country hungry for development, faced with serious challenges ranging from insecurity to unemployment to dependence on foreign goods and services, there is need to be able to harness all the resources available to us as a country.
He disclosed that traditionally, the military have played very significant role in the technological and scientific development across the globe.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the management of TETFund, I want to warmly welcome you. I want to underline the fact that we at TETFund recognize the important role that agencies like yours, play in national affairs.
I recall the privilege of presenting the paper at one of your functions about a year or two ago, and then all the contributions pointed in one direction”.
“As a country hungry for development, faced with serious challenges ranging from insecurity to unemployment to dependence on foreign goods and services, we need to be able to harness all the resources available to us”.
“And traditionally, the military have played very significant role in the technological and scientific development across the globe. We recall with a lot of satisfaction the Internet we enjoy today had its origins from the military.
Similarly, the Global Positioning System. When we talk about Google Maps, all the things that we do, even if we use them for location finding, for traffic and so on, once again develop for military purposes. Disability and use is it with drone technology”.
“Now we have countries where even medical equipment, medical drugs, and these are being distributed using drones. So a whole lot can happen if we are able to create, build a bridge, have synergy between the military, defense establishments, particularly the research component”.
“So I’m glad you’re already doing a bit of that, but I’m also pleased to let you know that here in TETFund over the last two years, we decided to focus laser beam on this particular area and filling the gaps that previously existed.
He noted that recently, the federal government inaugurated a Committee on the Commercialization of research findings. So going forward, all products of research will now have support translating them from prototypes to actual products and finding partners who will invest and take them forward as services or goods for consumption by the general public.
“Indeed, just today we signed a landmark MoU with NACCIMA for us to jointly auto promote this agenda. So last year we created a new thematic area.
We used to have 13 thematic areas under our National Research Fund Granting Committee. But in recognition of the importance and growing importance of the military, we created a new thematic area for military and defense research.
So we expect that you will fill your slot on the membership of those committees so that where the decisions are being made, you will also be represented at that level”, he added.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Director General of RDB, Rear Admiral K J Odubanjo, said the goal of the agency under his leadership, is to improve on what existed before him.
According to him, “Progress is only possible when we work with the right partners, because no institution can operate in isolation”.
“The Research and Development Bureau (RDB) has the mandate to coordinate research activities across the country, especially defence-related innovations, and to create a strong link between military and civilian institutions. As the Executive Secretary explained, this collaboration benefits not only the Armed Forces but other sectors as well”.
” For example, an airboat currently in use was originally conceived through RDB-supported research. Although RDB did not physically build it, the concept was developed internally and handed over to a designated company to produce. It was designed for defence operations, but after its public demonstration, other agencies showed interest”.
He explained that the Nigeria Customs Service has already requested its own units, and RDB is now working with the company to deliver them.
“Similarly, RDB collaborated with private partners to develop night-vision goggles. They have been tested, certified, and approved. The Enugu State Government has also indicated interest in procuring some of these devices through RDB”.
However, one major challenge we face is inadequate funding. We have the ideas and the experts, including university researchers and professors we already collaborate with, but research cannot move forward without financial support. We cannot expect partner organizations to provide 100 percent of the resources; we must also contribute. This is why the intervention of TETFund is vital”.
“With God’s help and continued support from TETFund, we are confident that Nigeria’s research capacity will grow stronger, helping the country confront current security challenges and advance into the future”, he added.