How TETFund is changing lives through innovative research

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is leading the way in bridging the gap between academic research and solutions, changing the lives of people and communities in Nigeria.

As Nigeria’s representative council in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), TETFund has redefined what it means to champion research for impact by focusing on what communities truly need.

Through transformative interventions in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria, TETFund provides effective project management that ensures research translates into tangible benefits for Nigerian communities.

This approach has yielded remarkable innovations that address some of the country’s most pressing challenges, from water contamination to energy poverty and occupational health hazards.

Here are some excerpts of the impactful innovations published in the SGCI newsletter.

Solar-powered device seeks to solve Nigeria’s water problems

Researchers in Nigeria have developed a solar-powered biosensor filtration device that detects and removes killer germs in water, making it safe to drink.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria faces a severe water crisis, with an estimated 70 per cent of water at the point of consumption contaminated.

The UN Children’s Agency says 117,000 children under five die each year in Nigeria as a result of waterborne diseases — the highest number of any country in the world.

To address the problem in rural and urban areas, researchers have developed a solar-powered filtration device, which can be used even in areas with limited electricity.

The device uses a biosensor to detect harmful organisms, while a three-layer filtration system harnesses ultraviolet rays to purify the water and remove any harmful germs.

“Our goal is to prevent waterborne illnesses and deaths,” said Victor Nwaugo, lead researcher and professor of environmental pollution and public health at Abia State University, Nigeria.

Wind energy harnessed to solve power shortages in rural Nigeria

A team of five Nigerian researchers have developed an innovative solution called AirVolt, designed to harness wind energy to generate sustainable electricity for rural communities in northern Nigeria.

These areas, often disconnected from the national grid, face significant challenges in accessing essential services such as healthcare, due to unreliable power.

Nigeria’s energy landscape has long been dominated by fossil fuels, which account for the majority of the country’s power generation.

But there is huge potential in the country for wind energy, which is cost-efficient and sustainable and, according to the International Energy Agency, offers one of the most promising options for renewable energy growth.

Abdulsalam Galadima, a researcher from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in Nigeria’s Kaduna State and a member of the AirVolt team, said: “Our team did some brainstorming and discovered that we could harness the wind energy with vertical axis wind turbines.”

Jolly frier promises healthy future for garri makers

Nigerian researchers have created a hybrid gas- and solar-powered device that automates the production of the Nigerian staple garri, improving efficiency and reducing health risks for producers.

Garri, a granular flour made from cassava, is usually produced using a wood-burning stove. This puts those who make it – mostly women and girls, at risk of respiratory and heart diseases.

The World Health Organization links around 3.2 million deaths per year globally to household air pollution from dirty stoves and fuels such as firewood, with women in low- and middle-income countries bearing the highest burden.

“One of our major targets is to stop exposure to smoke by substituting the use of firewood with clean and renewable energy,” says Cecilia Oluwamodupe, the lead researcher from Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, in Nigeria’s Ondo state.

She says the machine, named the Jolly Frier, will ensure the safety of garri producers. “The health hazards will be reduced or removed totally,” she adds.

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Published on 13 June 2025

Written by: Jackie Opara