TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to fully equip and operationalise four of the six proposed multi-purpose zonal laboratories across Nigeria before 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen research, innovation and technological development in the country’s tertiary education sector.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the report of the Advisory Committee on the Equipping of TETFund Multipurpose Zonal Laboratories. The committee was chaired by former acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki.
The advisory committee was inaugurated on February 17, 2026, with the responsibility of advising TETFund on the most suitable and modern equipment needed for the six strategically located regional laboratories spread across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Speaking during the presentation of the report, Echono explained that the idea of establishing world-class zonal laboratories had existed for more than a decade but suffered delays after previous administrations prioritised the establishment of new universities over the creation of centralised research facilities.
According to him, recent global developments in science, healthcare, engineering and technology have highlighted the urgent need for Nigeria to develop advanced laboratories capable of supporting industrialisation, innovation, postgraduate research and scientific discoveries.
“Our country is in dear need of these facilities as the engines of growth to stimulate our industrial transformation and research,” Echono stated.
“The flagship of these efforts are these multi-purpose laboratories. They will wipe away our sense of shame and restore our national pride,” he added.
The TETFund boss explained that the laboratory projects are being executed in phases due to funding limitations, noting that the facility at Bayero University Kano is among the most advanced and expected to begin receiving equipment before August this year.
He further revealed that three additional laboratories are projected to reach advanced completion stages by February next year, bringing the number of functional zonal laboratories to four before the end of 2026 and ahead of 2027 targets.
Echono said TETFund deliberately decided to synchronise the procurement and installation of equipment with the completion of the physical structures to avoid situations where expensive scientific equipment would be left unused in incomplete buildings.
“We thought it wise rather than wait and commission empty buildings, it was good to synchronise also the equipment phase so we will start the equipment procurement and installation from Kano that is ready to receive them,” he explained.
He also disclosed that members of the advisory committee would remain actively involved during the implementation stage to ensure that all supplied equipment meets approved international standards and technical specifications.
“We want to ensure that the right equipment and the right quality are what we get, even if we need to send some committee members for pre-shipment inspection,” Echono added.
Earlier, committee chairman Chris Maiyaki said the committee carefully reviewed existing policy documents and previous reports related to the proposed laboratories while also conducting verification visits to all six host institutions.
The universities selected to host the zonal laboratories include Bayero University Kano, Yakubu Gowon University, University of Lagos, University of Maiduguri, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, and University of Port Harcourt.
Maiyaki noted that construction progress varies across the institutions, with Bayero University Kano recording the highest level of completion at approximately 80 per cent, while projects at the University of Maiduguri and the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus remain at earlier stages of development.
He warned against the premature installation of sophisticated scientific equipment in unfinished facilities, stressing that poor environmental conditions could damage delicate laboratory systems and compromise their functionality.
“The committee believes strongly that the equipment procurement and installation must be synchronised with the readiness of the buildings,” Maiyaki stated.
According to him, the laboratories are expected to significantly transform Nigeria’s research landscape by improving postgraduate training, scientific experimentation, innovation, technological advancement and interdisciplinary collaboration across universities.
He also revealed that the committee developed an extensive multidisciplinary equipment framework covering engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, information technology, computing and specialised laboratory systems aimed at meeting international research standards.
Education experts say the establishment of the zonal laboratories could reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign research facilities, strengthen local innovation capacity and improve the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities in science and technology-driven research.
