The Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Professor Nicholas Ozor, has warned that Nigeria risks losing access to major international research funding opportunities unless the National Assembly expedites the passage of the proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund and National Council for Research and Innovation bills.
Ozor gave the warning in Abuja amid legislative consideration of the executive bill, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in April and subsequently transmitted to the National Assembly.
He said the proposed institutions would provide sustainable funding for research, coordinate innovation activities and promote the commercialisation of locally developed technologies.
According to him, Nigeria’s failure to establish a dedicated national research council and funding mechanism has continued to limit its participation in international research and development programmes.
Ozor specifically identified the Science Granting Councils Initiative, which provides technical and financial support to more than 20 African countries, as one of the opportunities Nigeria has been unable to fully access.
He attributed the country’s exclusion from such initiatives to the absence of an established national institution responsible for coordinating and financing research activities.
The ATPS executive director said the development was particularly concerning given Nigeria’s vast human and intellectual resources, which could be harnessed to strengthen its research and innovation capacity.
He explained that ATPS promotes the generation, dissemination, utilisation and mastery of science, technology and innovation as essential tools for Africa’s development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
Ozor, however, expressed optimism that the ongoing legislative process would result in the establishment of the proposed institutions, positioning Nigeria alongside countries with structured mechanisms for supporting research and innovation.
He said the passage of the bills would create more opportunities for Nigerian researchers, strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and improve its ability to attract international research funding.
He therefore urged the National Assembly to expedite consideration of the proposed legislation to enable Nigeria to benefit from emerging global research and development opportunities.
