Israel has secured funding for the fifth edition of the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (iFAIR), with the next cohort scheduled to begin in October.
The announcement was made on Saturday in Abuja by Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, during the closing ceremony and innovation showcase for participants in the fourth cohort.
The nine-month fellowship is a joint initiative of the Embassy of Israel in Nigeria, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Innov8 Hub. It is designed to equip Nigerian researchers and early-stage entrepreneurs with mentorship, technical support and access to investment opportunities needed to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses.
Freeman said the programme is built around helping Nigerians develop solutions to local challenges, drawing on Israel’s experience in innovation rather than importing foreign ideas.
“Today is a celebration of what is possible when Israel and Nigeria believe in each other,” he said.
“I am proud to announce that, together with our partners, we have secured funding for iFAIR 5, which will launch in October.”
He stressed that the fellowship was created to strengthen Nigerian innovation, not replace it.
“This programme has never been about bringing Israeli solutions to Nigeria. It has always been about supporting brilliant Nigerian innovators to create Nigerian solutions to Nigerian challenges, with guidance, mentorship and experience from Israel.”
Addressing the graduating fellows, Freeman encouraged them to continue building on what they had started.
“The certificate you receive today is not your greatest achievement. The real achievement is having the courage to turn an idea into something tangible. Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world need innovators like you,” he said.
TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono said the initiative tackles one of the country’s biggest challenges by helping researchers transform academic discoveries into market-ready products and businesses.
“The key challenge we are addressing is the commercialisation of research findings and inventions. We want to bridge the gap between universities, government and industry,” Echono said.
He added that TETFund is already establishing innovation centres in more than 60 tertiary institutions across Nigeria to provide students and researchers with the facilities needed to develop practical solutions while still in school.
“As we speak, TETFund is building innovation centres across over 60 tertiary institutions to enable students and researchers develop solutions to national and global challenges,” he said.
The announcement comes as Nigeria continues to expand its innovation ecosystem through partnerships aimed at strengthening digital entrepreneurship.
Last month, the National Information Technology Development Agency partnered with TikTok to establish a Digital Commerce Lab for small and medium-sized enterprises in Lagos.
The initiative includes a $20,000 pilot “Train-the-Trainer” programme designed to extend digital skills training to entrepreneurs in underserved communities across the country.
