The Federal Government has inaugurated key committees and unveiled the National Research-to-Commercialisation Policy, a framework aimed at turning Nigeria’s research outputs into economic, industrial and social value in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, inaugurated the Steering Committee and Policy Drafting Committee in Abuja, describing the move as a critical step to unlock value from publicly funded research. He said that despite heavy investment in universities, research institutes and specialised agencies, many outcomes remain underused.
According to Alausa, the policy creates clear pathways for moving research beyond journals into products, services and scalable solutions. He said it will strengthen collaboration among government, academia, industry, and financing institutions, protect intellectual property, safeguard public interest and ensure measurable returns on public investment.
He announced Federal Government backing, including ₦2 billion in the 2026 budget for the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee, a ₦3 billion operational allocation for committee activities, a ₦50 million Student Grant Venture Capital Initiative and institutional innovation grants.
The Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, described the initiative as a milestone in repositioning research as a driver of economic growth and competitiveness. She said the committees are mandated to develop a comprehensive framework and submit a final National Research-to-Commercialisation Policy to the Federal Government.
The policy is expected to guide implementation timelines, oversight, reporting standards and coordination across relevant institutions.
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