TETFund: Nigerian Researchers Develop Bread Testing, Water Filtration Tools
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian researchers have developed a digital tool to screen bread for bromate and a water filtration cartridge made from local materials, offering potential solutions to public health and environmental challenges.
The innovations were unveiled on Friday at the closing ceremony of the 35th cohort of the Research for Impact Initiative (R4i), organised by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in partnership with Innov8 Hub in Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the programme equips academics with skills to identify practical problems, develop prototypes and commercialise research findings.
One team developed Bake Check, a web-based application designed to screen bread for bromate. The tool analyses colour changes in a test solution using image capture and calibration.
Potassium bromate is used in some baking processes to improve flour performance. However, many jurisdictions restrict or prohibit its use because of potential health risks. The application could support preliminary screening, although its accuracy and reliability require further validation.
Another team introduced EcoCeramix, a water filtration cartridge made from locally calcined clay, silica and rice husk ash. Designed to fit standard household water-storage buckets, the cartridge explores the use of locally available materials for water treatment.
Speaking on behalf of TETFund Executive Secretary, Dr Sonny Echono, the fund’s Assistant Director of Research and Development, Dr Hadiza Ismail, said the initiative encourages academics to develop practical solutions to societal challenges rather than focus solely on scholarly publications.
“We must empower our scholars to create local solutions for our societal problems. This is why a commitment to education is a commitment to our nation’s future, ensuring that our people are not just consumers of foreign technology, but innovators who can drive sustainable growth,” Echono said.
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Korede Abdullah 
