Reps move to establish National Research Fund

The House of Representatives is considering legislation to create a National Research and Innovation Development Fund to tackle funding shortages, enhance research capabilities, and boost the commercialization of homegrown innovations. The proposed bill also aims to set up a National Council on Research and Innovation to coordinate research efforts, support scientific discoveries, and help turn research findings into marketable products and services.

House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas made these remarks during a public hearing organized by the House Committee on Science and Technology on the bill at the National Assembly in Abuja. Abbas emphasized that Nigeria cannot continue to rely heavily on imported technologies and solutions to address challenges its citizens could solve with their intellectual resources.

He pointed out that despite the country's pool of talented researchers, innovative young people, and skilled entrepreneurs, the lack of a system connecting research to funding and industry has hindered the economic benefits derived from their work. He noted that research activities in Nigeria often result in academic publications, while promising innovations struggle to secure funding and discoveries with commercial potential remain confined to laboratory settings.

Abbas emphasized that the challenge lies not only in producing more research but in building an ecosystem that links research to funding, innovation to investment, and discoveries to industry. The public hearing provided a platform for stakeholders to scrutinize the proposed legislation and ensure its provisions effectively address Nigeria's research and innovation challenges.