President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to consider and pass a bill seeking to establish a National Research and Development Fund aimed at improving how research is financed in Nigeria.
The National Research and Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 was transmitted to the Senate as lawmakers resumed plenary after a nine-week recess.
The letter from the President was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.
The proposed fund is designed to bring together research and development resources currently spread across various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into one central funding mechanism.
Under the proposed arrangement, research institutions and academic organisations would be able to access funding through a competitive system based on national priorities.
Tinubu said the initiative would also encourage greater cooperation between research agencies, universities and the private sector, while supporting the development and commercialisation of Nigerian technologies.
“The Bill is prepared in a bid to consolidate research financing, ensure more efficient utilization of resources,” Tinubu said in his letter to the Senate.
The President said the proposed fund would also introduce evaluation criteria for funding decisions in an effort to promote transparency and ensure available resources are directed towards strategic areas.
Another objective of the legislation is to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign technology by supporting the commercialisation of locally developed innovations.
The bill proposes establishing the National Research and Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
It would receive direct funding from the Nigerian Content Development Fund.
Tinubu said the need for the new structure was linked to the growing number of research institutions and agencies operating with separate mandates and budgetary allocations.
He argued that bringing fragmented funding arrangements under a central mechanism would make it easier to manage limited resources and improve the country’s science, technology and innovation sector.
The President also said the proposed legislation had been reviewed by relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Justice.
According to him, the review was intended to ensure that the bill aligns with national education and scientific innovation priorities while providing a clear legal and institutional framework.
Tinubu urged the Senate to consider the bill and pass it into law expeditiously.
The proposed legislation was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further consideration.
If passed, the fund would provide a central framework for financing research and could give research institutions and academic bodies a more structured route to secure funding for projects and innovations.
