President Bola Tinubu has sent a bill to the Senate seeking approval to establish a National Research and Development Fund that would centralise research financing across Nigeria.
The proposed fund would create a dedicated pool of resources for scientific and technological research, allowing the government to allocate money more efficiently and consistently to projects that drive innovation.
Under the bill, the fund would support research in key sectors such as agriculture, health, energy and information technology, helping to bridge gaps in funding that have historically limited Nigeria’s scientific output.
The Senate is scheduled to review the proposal in the coming weeks, with lawmakers expected to debate the scope, governance and funding mechanisms of the new fund.
As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria has long faced challenges in sustaining robust research programmes, and the establishment of a central research fund could be a significant step toward strengthening the nation’s scientific capacity.
<small>Source: Punch Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>