Mark Aba, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for increased investment in research and innovation, urging Nigeria to transform scientific discoveries into industrial development, job creation and economic prosperity.
Abbas said the country could no longer afford to rely heavily on imported solutions to challenges its researchers and scientists had the capacity to address, stressing the need to establish stronger links between research, funding, investment and industry.
He made the call on Thursday at a public hearing on a Bill seeking to establish the National Research and Innovation Development Fund and the National Council on Research and Innovation (HB. 2821), organised by the House Committee on Science and Technology in Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Ibrahim Alims, the Speaker lamented that despite Nigeria’s pool of accomplished scholars, scientists, innovative young people and research institutions, the country had struggled to translate its intellectual resources into productive economic outcomes.
He observed that research findings frequently ended up as academic publications, while promising innovations struggled to secure financing and commercially viable discoveries remained confined to laboratories.
“The challenge, therefore, is not simply to produce more research, but to build an ecosystem that connects research to funding, innovation to investment, and discoveries to industry,” Abbas said.
He explained that the proposed legislation would provide a dedicated funding mechanism and establish a National Council, to be chaired by the Vice President, to coordinate research priorities, ensure sustainable financing and facilitate the commercialisation of research outcomes.
Abbas, however, emphasised that the proposed institutions must be guided by transparency and accountability, insisting that research grants should be awarded based on merit, scientific relevance and measurable potential rather than political considerations.
He also called for a thorough examination of the proposed funding arrangements, particularly the 20 per cent contribution from the Nigerian Content Development Fund, to ensure that the provision was legally sound, financially sustainable and consistent with existing statutory obligations.
On intellectual property rights, the Speaker stressed the importance of protecting researchers while maintaining a fair balance between institutional contributions, private sector investment and public interest.
He further advocated an inclusive funding framework that would provide opportunities for polytechnics, specialised research institutes and independent innovators.
Recalling previous legislative attempts to establish a national research and innovation framework, Abbas urged the 10th House to resolve outstanding concerns relating to governance and financing to ensure the successful passage of the proposed legislation.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, Zakariya Tijjani Zannah, said Nigeria possessed the human capital required to strengthen its research and innovation capacity but lacked a reliable legal and institutional framework for funding, coordinating and commercialising research activities.
Zannah urged stakeholders to carefully examine the Bill’s governance structure, funding sources, competitive grant procedures, intellectual property provisions and accountability mechanisms.
He specifically highlighted the need to scrutinise the proposed 20 per cent funding contribution and the 2.5 per cent administrative expenditure cap to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the proposed institutions.
The committee chairman called on participants to make concrete recommendations that would strengthen the legislation and provide a solid foundation for Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem.
“Let us give Nigeria a Fund and a Council that are well governed, sustainably financed and focused on turning research into jobs, products and prosperity,” he said.
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