LAGOS – Efforts by the country to bridge development gaps between it and advanced nations of the world through research and development, R&D, are not only inadequate as a result of poor funding, but researchers in universities and institutes are also expressing frustration with the politicization of the process to get the paltry sums available to them.

Findings by Vanguard show that the nation as a whole is also lagging in research funding when compared to some universities in the Western world and even on the African continent.

For instance, globally, Johns Hopkins University in the United States is the highest spender on research among universities. It spent over $3.1 billion on R&D in 2020.

Still in the US, in 2020, Harvard spent about $1.24 billion on R&D. In 2022, Harvard spent $976 million in sponsored research funds and $384 million in university funds on research. Harvard’s research spending includes money for faculty, staff, labs, supplies, and services.

In Britain, for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023, the University of Oxford received £789 million in research grants and contracts.

On the African continent, the University of Cape Town, UCT, in South Africa has a research and innovation programme that includes direct costs, modified total direct costs, and funds for early-stage spin-off companies.

The university commits over $100 million yearly to R&D and has for years been rated the best on the continent.

Situation in Nigeria

The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, FMIST, currently headed by Chief Uche Nnaji, is expected to harness the power of science, technology, and innovation to drive Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Mandated by the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of 2022, FMIST is to promote the development and utilization of scientific research and technological advancements across all sectors of the Nigerian economy. It is to foster inclusive growth, enhance national security, boost agriculture, strengthen infrastructure, and advance industrialization and innovation, contributing to Nigeria’s overall socio-economic progress.

These mandates serve as a blueprint for transforming Nigeria into a global leader in science, technology, and innovation.

The mandate of FMSTI, in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 18, Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, is the Promotion of Science and Technology in Nigeria.

The Ministry is further mandated by the National Science and Technology Act of 1980 to be responsible for the establishment of research institutes in Nigeria with the approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief. Following the broad mandate stated above, the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of 2022, further mandated FMSTI to operate as a platform for collaboration among agencies of the Federal Government and state Ministries on Science, Technology and Innovation and encourage scientific research and development to foster innovation, technological advancements, and problem-solving capabilities.

The ministry, in 2024, was allocated a total of N11.05 billion and with the exchange rate of one dollar to N1,650, that is about $6.7 million.

The proposed budget for the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology in Nigeria for 2025 is N69.2 billion. That is about $30 million. It is inclusive of capital and overhead costs.

There are well over 66 research institutes in Nigeria, majority of which were established and funded by the Federal Government. They aim at discovering better ways of doing things, improving the knowledge base and raising standards in specific fields.

The institutes are separate from colleges, polytechnics and universities, whether public or private that are supposed to engage in R&D.

Also, for public institutions, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund is the major source of funding for R&D and in 2024 it spent about N3.4 billion, roughly $2.5 million on National Research Fund, where it gives a maximum of N100 million, about $75,000 to a group of researchers.

The Fund also spent N7.02 billion, about $5 million on Centres of Excellence and a little over N6 billion on institution-based research which is about $4.5 million

Apart from some private universities which devote some money to research, like Covenant University, Ota that recently announced about N20 million grant for its researchers, public universities in Nigeria have not had any dime set aside for research in over two decades.

Supporting R&D at state level

Not much is being done by state governments to support R&D, as most of them don’t have concrete plan for the sector. In most states, science and technology is under the Ministry of Education, and where it exists alone, nothing is put in place to encourage research.

However, during the tenure of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the Lagos State governor, he set up the Lagos Science, Research and Innovation Council, LASRIC, on June 19, 2017, with a seed capital of N500 million.

The current governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently reconstituted the board and increased the seed capital to N1 billion.

LASRIC’s role as a research, innovation, and technology council entails the application of discovered technological advancements across all sectors to enhance productivity and drive sustainable growth.

The board of the council is chaired by Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya, Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), while members include academics, scientists, tech entrepreneurs, and public sector leaders like Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, Vice Chancellor of UNILAG; Benjamin Aribisala, Director at Centre of Excellence for Sargassum research; Peter Bamkole, COO of Pan Atlantic University; and Victor Afolabi, founder of Eko Innovation Centre.

Others are Sulaimon Abubakar, CEO of Sterling Bank; Oreoluwa Somolu Lesi, founder of Women Tech Empowerment Centre; Nkemdilim Begho, CEO of Future Soft Resource Ltd.; Tomi Davies, collaborator-in-chief of TVC Lab; and Kola Aina, founding partner at Venture Platform.

As an individual or corporate body, to benefit from LASRIC, you must be resident in Lagos, show proof of that by being registered there, and you must also show evidence of tax payment and financial obligations in the state among others. The council can give up to N100 million as grant to researchers.

Sourcing funds for research is tough — Verlumun

Responding to inquiries by Vanguard, a top researcher in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr Gever Verlumun, said sourcing funds for research in the country is very tough.

“It is very difficult to secure grants from any source because money is a very sensitive commodity, so releasing money is not easy. From TETFUND, the challenge is the number of people competing for limited resources, so it is usually very cumbersome for the fund to go around. There are more people seeking TETFUND grants, but very limited resources are available. But in all honesty, money is never enough.
“The same challenge is applicable to corporate bodies and government agencies. As a result of the limited resources, lecturers sometimes feel that the award of grants is politicised. I do not support that school of thought because I know people will always hold opinions on issues, especially when money is involved,” he said.

On the level of support lecturers can get for their efforts, he noted: “Honestly, Nigerian lecturers have received different support at different times for their research. The amount varies, depending on the discipline of the research. Those from core sciences get more grants than those from humanities and social sciences. And securing support from internarional bodies too is not easy. They are even stricter with their requirements, so lecturers must go through administrative procedures to secure grants.

Therefore, it is not easy. To get a research grant, you apply and convince the granting agency that you need the money. Each individual granting body has its requirements for each grant programme available. Therefore, there is no specific limit that is applicable to all granting bodies.”

On the frustration some lecturers have been exposed to while seeking support, Verlumun explained: “I have people who have vowed not to apply for the TETFUND grant again because of the frustration and the perceived politicisation of the process. Although my personal thinking is that money is not easily released. Therefore, I understand that administrative procedures for money are necessary before grants are released. I also understand that not everyone will get a grant because the resources are limited.

“I have had tough experience applying for a TETFUND grant. We got the grant for our departmental journal three times, and I was responsible for running around to apply for the grant and ensuring that we fulfilled all the requirements for the retirement of the grant. It is very stressful. I also got a grant for Institutional Based Research of TETFUND. My colleagues and I got it together, and I know how difficult it was. I also got an international grant from Germany, and there are many processes to comply with. My observation from all these is that the research grants system and the general academic system are designed for researchers to be very poor. No provision is made for researchers to benefit anything from research grants because all funds are receipted. For us researchers, it looks like we are trapped in poverty, or the system has made it so. A researcher can get a grant of ten million Naira, and nothing will go to him or her. You spend the money on the research and submit the receipts. That is partly why we are very poor.”

Experiences of Nigerian researchers

In an article published in Nairaland recently, a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. C.C.Nnaji, related what a typical Nigerian researcher experiences while seeking to fulfill his duty of engaging in research that is intended to better the society at large.

“Did you know that lecturers are the only group of workers I know who are expected to provide/source for their own work implements? Now lecturers in some universities buy markers for teaching students.

Then, they are also expected to conduct research from their salaries, sponsor themselves to conferences and workshops as well as publish in top-notch journals. To publish in a top-notch journal, you need to have access to state-of-the-art laboratory and conducive working environment with high-speed internet access. No Nigerian university qualifies in this regard. But I still find it a feat that these impoverished, neglected and ill-equipped lecturers still manage to rear their “stubborn” black heads in the global intellectual playing field. They even go as far as making it to the editorial board membership of top journals in their fields. Lecturers are expected to spend their salaries to write tons of research proposals (which hardly materialize) in order to attract funds to buy equipment for teaching and research.

“Yes, I hear you loudly grumbling about the amount of money budgeted by TETFUND for research. A detailed survey will reveal that the political exertion needed to access the paltry sum awarded in the name of TETFUND grant in many universities is not worth it. A number of countries including China and South Africa fund their lecturers to conduct research and thereafter pay them for publishing the paper in a good journal. In fact, an average researcher in South Africa could earn as much money, if not more, from publications alone as a professor in a Nigerian university would earn as annual salary.

“Did you know that it could take years to get published in impact factor rated journals, yet these Nigerian lecturers still publish thousands of papers in these journals? I have once had to wait for two solid and uncertain years to have one of my papers published. The situation is further worsened by some publishers who insist on compulsory open access publication which imposes on the prospective author a huge financial burden. A typical example is world class Swiss-based publisher known as MDPI that charges up to 2,000CHF article processing charge per accepted paper. This amount translates to about N1,030,000 per paper! Are you kidding me?”

No allocation to research in varsities

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, opined that apart from TETFund, researchers in the country literally don’t get anything from anybody.

“There is no budget for research. It is so sad. Check the overhead cost for the University of Ibadan, for instance, it is about N2 billion for this year 2025 and research is not on the list. What TETFund gives is not enough too. People scramble to get the little the Fund gives out. It is research done by foreign universities that bring them to world standards.

“Corporate bodies too are not supporting the sector. The cash cows in the country should support it. There was a time a governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria did some things to assist universities in the country, but after he left , nothing has been done since,” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, the National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, opined that relying solely on TETFund to provide all that is necessary to support research is unfortunate.

“That body only cannot shoulder all the responsibilities of funding research in the country. They are trying and as a person, I have benefitted from grants from it. The quality of academics in the university is linked to the quality of research output. And that can help the society.

“Before 1976, there used to be research allocation in universities, but now, I doubt if anything like that exists in any public university. Different departments of government could look at areas where they can collaborate with universities and fund research. We can think global but our action could still be local,” he said.

Misuse of research grants

Despite the poor funding of research in the country, the little that is available is sometime not judiciously used. The development, has made the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, to publicly decry the situation.

Commenting on misuse of grants, Osodeke noted: “Some beneficiaries of the support by TETFund, who were sent abroad don’t want to come back because of poor salaries being paid lecturers here. When you earn about $200 monthly as a professor, that is grossly inadequate.”

Sunmonu stated that researchers need to justify the grants given them. “We should earn respect and not demand it. When we do what we are supposed to do, people will see it. Let all researchers also clean their house with respect and that we must justify what we are given. Corporate bodies are set up to make profit and research is to enhance their processes, they would be happy to support researchers if we do the needful and come out clean,” he said.

TETFund Research Intervention Lines

According to the spokesman of the Fund, Mr Akanbi Oniyangi, “TETFund is committed to the institutionalization of Research & Development in Public Tertiary Institutions through innovative best practices, thereby creating the platform for researchers to patent and develop their findings as a progressive and sustainable driver of economic growth.

“The Board of Trustees established the following intervention lines for the achievement of the broad objectives: Institution-Based Research (IBR), National Research Fund (NRF) and TETFund Centres of Excellence

“The IBR intervention is aimed at promoting research capacity and competences of lecturers in beneficiary institutions. There is no restriction in the thematic areas of research, so beneficiaries are free to carry out their enquiries in different areas of academic disciplines. TETFund requires institutional involvement in the vetting process as research proposals are screened by Institutions’ research committees and recommendations made to the Fund for approval through heads of institutions.

To enhance the effectiveness of the IBR Intervention in response to prevailing inflationary pressure, the IBR grant ceiling which used to be N2 million was reviewed upward to N5 million per research project for science-based research and N4 million for Humanities, Social Sciences and related research.
The total number of completed IBR projects in 2024 for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education stood at 3,100.

“In line with the mandate of TETFund, the Board of Trustees established a National Research Fund (NRF) aimed at resuscitating research activities in the Nation’s Tertiary Institutions. The NRF is intended to address the paucity of funds necessary to facilitate cutting-edge research which will contribute to national development efforts as well as tackle global challenges. The NRF addresses areas of national concern in the following three thematic areas namely: Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI); Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and Cross Cutting (CC).

“The National Research Fund is administered by the NRF Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) with membership drawn from Nigerian tertiary institutions (Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education), representatives of academic unions and representatives of relevant regulatory agencies i.e. the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and National Commission for Colleges of Education. The selection of members is done to reflect diverse expertise, experience and standing in the academic community. The committee was reconstituted in June 2024 by former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman. A total sum of N3,313,624,431.48 was disbursed in 2024.

“TETFund Centres of Excellence (TCoEs) are organisational environments that strive for, and succeed in, developing high standards of conduct in a field of research, innovation, or learning. They are typically geographically-concentrated and focused on high potential and/or growth areas in science, technology, engineering, humanities, and social sciences.

The TCoE project development objective is to support host institutions to promote specialization among participating Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) in areas that address priority national challenges and strengthen the capacities of these TEIs to deliver quality training and applied research. The higher order objective is to meet labour market demands for skills within specific areas where there are skill shortages affecting development outcomes and economic growth. Furthermore, the project will, on a demand basis, invest in well performing TEIs that can start building a foundation for Nigeria to increase knowledge and technology absorption, and build a knowledge-based economy.

“So far, a total sum of N7,029,069,055.62 has been disbursed to the TETFund Centres of Excellence in Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.”

Government’s removal of research grants from TSA

In order to help public universities monitor and draw more research funds, the Federal Government gave the directive to exempt them from the Treasury Single Account, TSA.

The directive was contained in a letter signed by then Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, to vice-chancellors, dated 6 September, last year.

“The National Universities Commission received the directive from the Honourable Minister of Education, Ref. DE/HE/37/VII/324 and dated Sept. 4, 2024.

“Forwarding the correspondence from the Principal Secretary to the President, State House, also vide PRES/87/MF/71/198/MBEP/15 and dated 23rd July 2024, on the above subject.

“The letter communicates Mr President’s directive to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to exclude third-party research grant funds of federal universities and research institutes from the TSA.”

We will sustain investment in research — Minister

Speaking during the maiden TETFund National Research Fair/ Exhibition in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said that only impactful research and innovation could equip Nigeria with needed elements to transform its fortune, adding that the Federal Government is committed to leveraging research and for economic growth.

He stated that despite being the first of its kind, the event would be held annually to unleash the innate capacities of millions of young Nigerians by giving them opportunities to contribute to economic development through innovation.

Dr. Alausa noted that Europe, America and Asia thrived when they discovered the rule of law, free market and research-based innovation, and emphasized that it is the direction for Africa and Nigeria to take in addressing the numerous challenges facing the continent. He maintained that the Federal Government through TETFund would sustain its investments in research.