Senate Advances Research Fund Bill, Targets Commercialisation Of Innovations

The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Research and Innovation Development Fund and the National Council on Research and Innovation to strengthen research funding, promote indigenous technology and accelerate the commercialisation of research findings in Nigeria.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by the Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, seeks to establish a sustainable institutional and financial framework for coordinating and supporting research, development and innovation across critical sectors of the economy.

The bill, titled “National Research and Innovation Development Fund Establishment Bill, 2026 (SB. 1069)”, was debated by the senators who stressed the need to bridge the gap between academic research and its practical application in industry.

Leading the debate on behalf of Bamidele, the Senate chief whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North Senatorial District, said research and innovation were essential to Nigeria’s economic competitiveness and technological advancement.

“The importance of research and innovation to national development cannot be overemphasised,” Monguno said while presenting the bill.

He noted that Nigeria had universities, polytechnics, research institutes, professional academies and technology entrepreneurs engaged in research and development, but their potential remained constrained by inadequate funding and the absence of an effective coordination framework.

According to him, the proposed fund would provide financial support for research and innovation, while the National Council on Research and Innovation would offer strategic direction, policy oversight and supervision.

Monguno said the bill would support indigenous and emerging technologies, research infrastructure and the establishment of a national database of research, development and innovation resources and outputs.

He emphasised that research must go beyond academic publications and laboratory experiments to deliver practical solutions that improve the lives of Nigerians.

“It recognises that research should not remain confined to academic publications, institutions or laboratories, but should be translated into goods, services, technologies and practical solutions capable of improving the lives of Nigerians,” he said.

Highlighting the financial provisions of the bill, Monguno said Section 19 proposed that the fund receive resources from an annual contribution of 20 per cent of the Nigerian Content Development Fund, appropriations by the National Assembly, grants, donations, endowments, proceeds from patents and commercialisation, investment income and other lawful sources.

He explained that Section 20 outlined areas of expenditure, including research grants, innovation initiatives, research infrastructure, product development, prototyping, indigenous technology development, intellectual property acquisition, technology transfer and capacity building.

The proposed legislation also seeks to limit administrative expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the annual contribution from the Nigerian Content Development Fund to ensure that most of the resources are channelled towards research and innovation.

Monguno said the bill contained accountability and transparency provisions covering financial reporting, auditing, annual reports and oversight.

It also provides for offences and penalties relating to the diversion or misapplication of grants, submission of false information, failure to account for grants, unauthorised disclosure of information and conflicts of interest.

The proposed framework further addresses intellectual property rights arising from funded research, with the aim of protecting researchers and beneficiary institutions while facilitating technology transfer and commercialisation.

Monguno said the fund could support innovation in agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, environmental management and other strategic sectors.

He, however, stressed the importance of establishing clear priorities, assessing proposals rigorously, measuring outcomes and monitoring funded projects effectively.

He said the fund must ensure that research investments produce tangible benefits for the Nigerian economy and society.

Supporting the bill, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, described the proposed fund as an important mechanism for encouraging creativity and supporting researchers and innovators.

Abiru said establishing a dedicated funding institution alongside the proposed council would provide a more reliable source of financial support for innovative ideas across different sectors of the economy.

“I believe that this is perhaps one of the best ways that we can continue to encourage the creativity and ingenuity of our innovators and research fellows,” he said.

He expressed support for the proposed structure of the fund and urged his colleagues to support the legislation.

Senator Diket Plang, representing Plateau Central Senatorial District, said the bill could address the longstanding challenge of translating research findings into practical applications.

He commended the expansion of Nigeria’s university system but observed that research outcomes were often not implemented or commercialised.

“The lack of implementation of research results negates the technological development of our country,” Plang said.

He argued that the proposed fund could strengthen collaboration between universities and industries by providing the financial resources needed to develop and commercialise research findings.

According to him, taking research outcomes to industry would stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and accelerate technological advancement.

Plang noted that scientific and technological research required substantial investment, making a dedicated funding mechanism necessary.

“The fact that this will provide funding, and after funding, it provides a market, I believe that this is a transformational bill,” he said.

He urged senators to support the legislation, describing it as an opportunity to harness the potential of Nigerian universities and accelerate national development.

Also supporting the bill, Senator Ekon Samson, representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, said research and innovation were critical to Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate development and compete with other countries.

He argued that the country could have achieved greater progress if research had received more attention within its education system.

“How do we catch up with the rest of the world when we ignore research and innovation?” Ekon asked.

Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s Civil War, the senator said the country’s history demonstrated the importance of research and ingenuity in responding to difficult circumstances.

He maintained that sustained investment in research would help Nigeria develop new solutions, strengthen its education system and address economic and social challenges.

Ekon also highlighted the importance of accountability, transparency and intellectual property rights, noting that clear rules on ownership would help protect researchers and ensure that the results of funded research were properly managed.

“The major persuasion in this bill is that we have to attend to our need for research as a catalyst to drive what we are looking for in Nigeria,” he said.

He urged his colleagues to support the bill, stressing that meaningful national development required investment in new ideas, research and innovation.

Following deliberations, the Senate passed the bill for second reading through a voice vote.

The proposed legislation was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further consideration, with the committee directed to report back to the Senate within four weeks.