Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem have called for the accelerated passage of the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) Bill currently before the National Assembly, describing it as a critical instrument for providing sustainable, predictable financing for science, technology and innovation (STI) and reducing over-reliance on annual budgetary allocations.
The appeal was made during the third Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop on the Operationalization of Nigeria’s National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), held in Abuja under the joint auspices of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), and UNESCO, as part of the UK–West Africa Science, Technology and Innovation Partnerships for Sustainable Development (SANKORE Project).
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The NRIF Bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives, seeks to establish a dedicated fund to boost scientific research, technological innovation, and investment in high-impact areas. When enacted, it will provide legal backing for all STI programmes, create a knowledge-based economy, and position Nigeria as a competitive player in global innovation.
Director-General, SHESTCO, Hon. Magaji Aliyu: “No nation develops without innovation, science and technology. Once this Bill becomes law and the fund is established, it will take Nigeria to the next level. It will legalise everything we do in this ecosystem funding, governance, structure. Nigeria has abundant talent; what we need is the mechanism to bring it out. With NRIF, we move from looking outside for capacity to building it inwards.”
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Aliyu, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives, expressed optimism that the Senate would pass the Bill swiftly and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would grant it expeditious assent, noting that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Philip Ndiomu Ebiogeh: “We are still in the consultative phase, but we are determined to cover significant ground before the last quarter of the year. With the DG’s understanding of the terrain, we will leave no stone unturned even if it is a pebble.”
UNESCO STI Consultant, Prof. Willie Siyanbola: The project was initiated following a thorough evaluation of the 2012 National STI Policy and the approval of its revised version by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022. A major gap identified was the non-activation of the National Research and Innovation Council and the National Research and Innovation Fund. Prof. Siyanbola stressed that no country has achieved meaningful transformation without leveraging STI channels to lift citizens out of poverty.
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The third workshop translated priorities into a functional execution plan, endorsed the framework for final validation, and outlined tasks for presenting the strategy to the executive arm.
Participants urged the Senate to expedite passage of the NRIF Bill (already passed by the House of Representatives) and called for high-level advocacy targeting the leadership of the Executive and National Assembly to secure seamless legislative and presidential assent.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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