By Alade Adisa
With the giant strides being recorded by countries in the area of research and development—efforts that have propelled many into the ranks of industrialised and advanced nations—Nigeria does not appear to take the issue of research seriously.
Findings by this paper show that practically nothing is being done in the nation’s universities and research institutes, which are supposed to take the lead. It is unbelievable that no fund is allocated for research in Nigeria’s public universities, whereas their peers globally, and even in South Africa, are making significant progress in that sector.
Some experts in science and technology have described Nigeria’s attitude towards R&D as akin to “a nation trying to fly without wings.” R&D, they argue, is the wing on which countries soar to achieve great developmental status.
Spending on research in other countries
Some universities in the United States spend annually on research amounts that are almost as large as Nigeria’s federal budget. Johns Hopkins University, for instance, spent over $3.1 billion on R&D in 2020. In the same year, Harvard University spent about $1.24 billion on research, covering faculty, staff, labs, supplies, and services.
In the United Kingdom, by July 31, 2023, the University of Oxford received £789 million in research grants and contracts for just one year.
On the African continent, the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa commits over $100 million annually to R&D and has for years been rated the best on the continent.
How research is handled in Nigeria
In a bid to promote research, science, and technology, the Federal Government established the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST), currently headed by Chief Uche Nnaji.
The ministry’s mandate includes harnessing science, technology, and innovation to drive Nigeria’s socio-economic development. It also implements the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of 2022, which aims to promote the development and utilisation of scientific research across all sectors.
Additionally, under the National Science and Technology Act of 1980, the ministry is responsible for establishing research institutes in Nigeria, with the approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief.
Budget for the ministry
In 2024, the ministry received a total allocation of N11.05 billion—about $6.7 million at an exchange rate of N1,650 to the dollar. The proposed 2025 budget is N69.2 billion (about $30 million), inclusive of capital and overhead costs. From this budget, the ministry is expected to oversee 66 research institutes, most of which were established and are funded by the Federal Government.
The situation in universities
While some private universities, such as Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State, are making efforts to support their researchers with funding, New Daily Prime found that there is zero allocation for research in public universities, both federal and state.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, National President of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), said the reliance on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to shoulder all research funding responsibilities is unfortunate and inadequate.
“TETFund alone cannot shoulder all the responsibilities. They are trying, and I have benefited from their grants. The quality of academics in the university is linked to the quality of research output, which, in turn, benefits society.
“Before 1976, there was dedicated research funding in universities, but now, I doubt if that exists in any public university. Government departments should identify areas for collaboration and fund research locally, even if we’re thinking globally,” he said.
His view was echoed by the immediate past National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who noted that beyond TETFund, researchers in the country get nothing.
“There is no budget for research. It is so sad. Check the overhead cost for the University of Ibadan for 2025—it’s about N2 billion—but research isn’t listed. TETFund grants are insufficient, and researchers scramble for them. It is foreign universities’ research that lifts their global rankings,” he said.
In 2024, TETFund spent about N3.4 billion (roughly $2.5 million) on the National Research Fund, offering a maximum of N100 million (about $75,000) to research groups. It also spent N7.02 billion (about $5 million) on Centres of Excellence and over N6 billion ($4.5 million) on institution-based research.
How TETFund intervenes
Responding to an enquiry from our reporter, TETFund’s spokesman, Mr. Akanbi Oniyangi, said: “The Board of Trustees established the following intervention lines: Institution-Based Research (IBR), National Research Fund (NRF), and TETFund Centres of Excellence.
“The IBR intervention aims to promote finding capacity and competence among lecturers in beneficiary institutions. There are no thematic restrictions, and institutions vet and recommend proposals to TETFund.
“To address inflation, the IBR grant ceiling was increased to N5 million for science-based projects and N4 million for Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2024, a total of 3,100 IBR projects were completed across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.”
On the NRF, he said it was created to resuscitate findings in tertiary institutions and tackle global challenges. In 2024, N3.3 billion was disbursed under the NRF, covering Science, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, and Cross-Cutting themes.
The Centres of Excellence, according to Oniyangi, aim to promote specialisation and develop institutional capacity in areas aligned with national development needs. TETFund has disbursed N7.02 billion to such centres across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Terrible situation at state Level
Most state governments that operate their universities are not investing in research either. Only Lagos State has a dedicated agency—the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), established in 2017 during Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s tenure with a seed fund of N500 million.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently reconstituted the board and increased the fund to N1 billion. LASRIC supports individual and institutional researchers resident in Lagos with grants of up to N100 million.
‘Researchers face multiple challenges’
Dr. Gever Verlumun, a top researcher in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said:
“It’s very difficult to secure grants. With TETFund, the issue is the number of applicants. There are many more people than there are available resources. Because of this, some feel the process is politicised. I don’t subscribe to that view—I think administrative procedures and limited funding are the main issues.
“Lecturers receive different levels of support depending on the discipline. The sciences typically get more funding than the Humanities. International grants are even harder to get and come with stricter conditions.
“I’ve personally gone through a lot. I got grants for our departmental journal three times, and it was very stressful to meet all the requirements. I also got an IBR grant and an international grant from Germany. But the truth is, researchers get nothing personally from these grants. All expenses must be receipted. You can receive a N10 million grant and not take home a naira. That’s part of why researchers are poor. The system is built that way.”
Govt eases TSA rules on research grants
Federal universities operate under the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which requires that all funds go through government control. This has significantly hampered research funding.
However, after years of pressure, the government finally exempted third-party research grants from the TSA. A directive to this effect was conveyed in a letter dated September 6, 2024, from the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, to vice-chancellors.
The letter communicated a directive from the President to exclude research grant funds from the TSA, easing access to donor and external funding for research.
Also, the Federal Government has pledged to continue investing in research. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the assurance at the maiden TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition in Abuja, stating that impactful research and innovation were critical to transforming Nigeria’s fortunes.
Tapping into alumni associations
To keep up with global peers, Nigerian universities are increasingly reaching out to their alumni—especially those in the diaspora—for research support.
These efforts are yielding results. The College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, has received $1 million donations twice from former students. One donation came from US-based professor Dr. Philip Ozuah for the student hostel building fund in August 2022. Another $1 million, consisting of medical equipment, was donated by the class of 1989 and facilitated by Project C.U.R.E., a US-based NGO.
The equipment included specialised beds, consumables, and mobile ultrasound machines, and was described as the single largest donation received during the tenure of the Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo.
