Research Institutions Unite, Seek Better Funding for Industrial Growth

Directors of Nigeria’s research institutions have closed ranks to push for increased funding, stronger collaboration and accelerated industrialisation, declaring that the nation cannot achieve meaningful development without sustained investment in research and innovation.

The resolve was reached on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the Forum of Research Institutions Directors in Abuja, where heads of key research agencies vowed to speak with one voice in tackling challenges confronting the sector and driving Nigeria’s industrial transformation.

Convener of the forum and Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, said the platform would serve as a united front for research institutions to engage government, industry players and other stakeholders on issues affecting research and innovation.

He lamented that scientific research had for years been pushed to the background despite its critical role in national development and economic growth.

According to him, the forum will strengthen partnerships among government institutions, industry operators and research organisations while promoting policies capable of advancing Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda.

“We are hopeful that this forum will help research institutes articulate a clearer and stronger common front in pursuing the research and industrialisation agenda of this country. For many years, scientific research has been relegated to the background,” he said.

Ike-Muonso disclosed that while the forum currently consists of public research institutions, plans were underway to bring private-sector stakeholders on board in areas of shared interest.

He added that a steering committee would determine the operational framework of the body, expressing confidence that increased investment in research would lead to improved products, greater innovation and enhanced competitiveness for Nigeria in the global market.

Also speaking, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Prof. Gabriel Akin Oluwatosin, described the forum as a strategic platform for championing the interests of research institutions and facilitating the commercialisation of innovations.

He said the body would act as a pressure group to engage government agencies and industrial hubs that utilise technologies and products developed by researchers.

“This forum will serve as a pressure group to present our case to key stakeholders, including government and industrial hubs across the country. These stakeholders are the users of the products and technologies we develop,” he said.

Oluwatosin stressed that the forum would help institutions secure patents, commercialise innovations and make research outputs available for public use.

“A nation without research cannot progress. The advanced nations we see today attained their status through sustained investment in research and innovation,” he added.

On his part, Acting Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan, Dr. Adedeji Adedeji Rasheed, identified poor funding and insecurity as major obstacles confronting research institutions across the country.

He lamented that despite their strategic importance, research institutions had not received adequate government attention to effectively discharge their mandates.

Rasheed revealed that insecurity had become a major concern for staff, citing the experience of CRIN where the absence of proper boundary demarcation and security infrastructure has exposed the institute to criminal activities.

“There is no proper perimeter fencing, surveillance infrastructure, or clear boundary separating the institute’s land from the larger forest reserve. This lack of attention has made it increasingly difficult to secure the institute,” he said.

He noted that considerable effort was required to reassure workers of their safety and encourage them to carry out their duties.

Rasheed said the forum would champion greater government support for research institutions through improved funding, infrastructure development, staff capacity building and enhanced security, while also urging organisations that benefit from research outputs to contribute more actively to research and development initiatives.