…lament poor implementation of publicly funded research
By Gloria Ikibah 
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to establish a formal mechanism requiring ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to review and respond to strategic research findings to improve policymaking, governance and national development.
The call followed a motion sponsored by Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki, which highlighted concerns that valuable research produced by government-funded institutions often failed to translate into practical solutions to Nigeria’s economic, security and developmental challenges.
The motion seeks to institutionalise the consideration and utilisation of strategic research findings in national policy formulation, development planning and governance.
The House is urged the Federal Government, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), to establish a coordinated system for receiving, reviewing, referring and monitoring strategic research recommendations from three major institutions: the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru; National Defence College (NDC), Abuja; and National Institute for Security Studies (NISS).
The proposed framework will require relevant MDAs to formally respond to recommendations referred to them, indicating whether they had been accepted, modified, deferred or rejected, with reasons provided for the decisions and details of proposed implementation measures where applicable.
The motion also proposed periodic reporting on the consideration and implementation of the recommendations, with appropriate summaries made available for accountability and policy evaluation, subject to confidentiality requirements.
House further called on the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, in collaboration with the Budget Office of the Federation, to integrate relevant research findings into national development plans, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), the Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) and annual budget preparation.
The proposal seeks to build on existing legal provisions, including Section 3 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Act, which empowers the institute to conduct interdisciplinary research and present practical policy options to those responsible for national policymaking and implementation.
It also references Sections 13 and 18 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which provide for consultation in preparing the MTEF and establish the framework as the basis for annual budget preparation.
On national security, the lawmakers urged the Office of the National Security Adviser, working with relevant defence, intelligence and security authorities, to develop appropriate procedures for considering and using research findings from the NDC and NISS while protecting classified information and national security interests.
Contributing to the debate, Rep. Joe Onuakalusi lamented that Nigeria was not short of research but struggled to implement findings that could address longstanding national challenges and reduce dependence on imports.
“Nigeria is not lacking in research funders, what Nigeria is lacking is implementation of those fundings, a hard work of nettings,” he said.
Onuakalusi argued that substantial resources had been invested in research across different sectors, but the findings were often left unused.
He cited research into the production of bread from cassava flour as an example of how Nigeria had failed to commercialise locally developed solutions.
“So, years back, there was a research on how to leach cassava to make bread. And by the leaching of cassava to make bread, it was dropped midway. But other countries, where such research came into being, are today reaching up to 70% of the cassava to make bread, but we are still importing flour for bread,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that research should not end with the publication of reports but should progress to implementation, commercialisation and the development of products that benefit the wider population.
“In modern clime, Mr. Speaker and my Colleagues, researches are meant for implementation. And once it’s done, it’s commercialized,” he said.
He also called for better coordination of research funding and the establishment of a framework to ensure that findings were evaluated, developed and deployed to address national needs.
According to him, governments in other countries support research implementation with dedicated funding, while Nigeria continues to struggle with the release of funds and the implementation of research outcomes.
“Every research all over the world, un-diffused, most of the researches are meant for economic development of any nature. Once the research results come, government funds it,” he said.
Onuakalusi argued that the National Assembly should help establish a legal framework to ensure that research findings received the necessary attention and resources for implementation.
He commended Dasuki for bringing the motion before the House, expressing optimism that the initiative could help Nigeria turn existing knowledge into practical solutions.
Also supporting the motion, Rep. Stanley Olajide said Nigerian research institutions had already developed recommendations and solutions to many of the country’s challenges, yet policymakers frequently looked abroad for answers.
“Thanks for yielding the floor to me, Mr. Speaker. Again, I want to lend my voice in support of this all-important motion.
“And these agencies that we have, they are doing a fantastic, they are doing a fantastic job. And oftentimes we travel abroad to look for solutions. Whereas most of the research institutions that we have in Nigeria have actually done research. They actually have recommendations and solutions for a lot of our problems,” Olajide said.
Olajide urged his colleagues to support the motion, saying better use of domestic research would strengthen public institutions and contribute to national development.
“Mr. Speaker, I think we all need to respond and support this motion. Because I believe it’s going to actually help all these agencies to help us learn more. And help our country grow to where we want it to grow,” he said.
The House unanimously adopted the motion and mandated its Committees on National Planning and Economic Development, National Security and Intelligence, Defence, and Special Duties to engage the relevant institutions, monitor implementation of the proposed framework and report back within four weeks.
The debate underscored concerns among lawmakers that Nigeria could gain more from its investment in research if findings were systematically considered, adequately funded and translated into policies, products and programmes.
The proposed framework is intended to strengthen evidence-based governance and ensure that research conducted with public funds contributes more directly to solving national problems and improving the effectiveness of government spending.
