President Bola Tinubu has transitioned a bill seeking to establish National Research Development Fund to the House of Representatives for further legislative action.
The President’s request was contained in a cover letter with Reference No: PRES/134-1/HR/37/EB dated 24th September, 2026 addressed to Speaker Abbas Tajudeen which was read during Tuesday plenary.
According to the letter titled: ‘Transmission of National Research Development Fund (Establishment) bill, 2026 for passage into law’, President Tinubu solicited for expedite consideration and passage of the legislative framework.
He explained that the proposed Bill was ‘prepared in a bid to consolidate research financings, ensure more efficient utilization of resources, and to consolidate the fragmented research and development funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into the National Research Development Fund, to serve as the central mechanism through which research agencies and academic institution can access funding.
‘The establishment of the National Research Development Fund, will serve as a competitive central funding mechanism.
‘It seeks to foster strategic collaboration among research agencies, academia, and the private sector.
‘It will catalyze groundbreaking innovations, streamline resource allocation according to strategic national priorities, ensure strict transparency in funding decisions through evaluation criteria, and drive the commercialisation of homegrown technology to reduce foreign technological dependency.
‘Going further, the Bill establish National Research Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology with direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund (NCDF).’
Mr. President observed that, with the current proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating within the research and development and commercialisation landscape, each agency operates with separate mandate and budgetary allocations.
He however explained that the Bill ‘seeks to enable effective management of the limited financial resources available to these institutes and research agencies for the efficient development of science, technology and innovation in Nigeria.
‘The Bill has been thoroughly reviewed and vetted by relevant key stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education and Innovation, Science and Technology as well as the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the legislative structure aligns seamlessly with national education objectives, scientific innovation priorities while ensuring legal precision, institutional harmony and statutory clarity.
‘In consequence of the above, National Research Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 is hereby forwarded to the House of Representatives for legislative action by the National Assembly.
To this end, he solicited for the House support to consider the Bill and its passage into law.