Nigeria’s plan to overhaul its innovation landscape is moving into its crucial implementation phase with a three-day stakeholder workshop convened in Abuja to draft the operational roadmap for the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF). This fund is poised to transform how research is financed across the country, making performance, national impact, and market relevance the new criteria for investment.
The workshop, themed “Building Partnerships for Sustainable Innovation Financing,” gathered policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to finalize the governance structure needed to launch the NRIF.
Bridging the Gap Between Ideas and Impact
Dr. Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Science and Technology, emphasized that operationalizing the NRIF is a deliberate act of economic engineering. The fund is designed to:
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Link laboratories to markets.
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Convert research outputs into national prosperity.
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Ensure innovation directly contributes to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development agenda.
The Minister, represented by Permanent Secretary Mr. Philip Ebiogeh, stressed that the NRIF is not an isolated policy; it is a “deliberate pillar” of Nigeria’s long-term innovation architecture. He urged universities and research institutions to prepare for a new era where funding is driven by measurable performance, relevance, and collaboration.
The Legislative Countdown
The legislative path for the fund is nearing completion. Dr. Udeh disclosed that the NRIF bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is now awaiting final Senate concurrence. He expressed optimism that the bill would become law before 2026, marking what he described as one of the most consequential innovation reforms in Nigeria’s history.
The launch of the fund, which will be guided by the roadmap drafted at the workshop, is expected to reshape national development strategies, as noted by Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, in his keynote address on “Financing Research and Innovation as a Catalyst for Nigeria’s Development.”
