The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology has threatened to escalate the failure of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, to attend a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fund. The committee accused the minister of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to establish the fund, warning that his absence could delay the passage of the proposed legislation and frustrate Nigeria’s efforts to attract international research grants.
The committee also expressed displeasure that the ministry failed to send the Permanent Secretary or any representative to the hearing on the bill, HB 2821, despite being directly responsible for the sector. Speaking at the hearing, a member of the committee, Ahmed Usman Jaha, who represents Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State, described the ministry’s absence as an act of sabotage against the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government. Jaha, who spoke on behalf of the committee, said it was unacceptable for a ministry whose portfolio directly covered the subject of an executive-sponsored bill to ignore the legislative process. “Unfortunately, some members of the executive are by extension sabotaging this relationship. The reason why I call it sabotage is that I see no reason whereby the executive can present a bill to the House for consideration, and that bill has national importance, but the ministry responsible for it will not show up,” he said.
He disclosed that the committee had invited the Ministers of Justice, Innovation, Science and Technology, Education, Environment, Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Livestock Development, and Industry, Trade and Investment, among other stakeholders. However, none of the invited ministers attended the hearing. Jaha said the committee was particularly concerned about the absence of Udeh, insisting that either the minister or the Permanent Secretary should have appeared to contribute to the consideration of the bill. He noted that an international stakeholder who travelled from Kenya honoured the committee’s invitation, while the ministry directly responsible for the proposed fund failed to participate.
He cited the African Technology Policy Studies Network, whose representative reportedly told the committee that several African countries had established national research and innovation funds, while Nigeria was yet to establish a similar framework. Jaha said the committee had given the minister and the Permanent Secretary another opportunity to appear before the conclusion of the public hearing. He warned that failure to do so would compel the committee to raise a motion of urgent public importance at the next sitting of the House. “With this attitude, they will end up delaying the bill. Maybe Mr President is trying to expedite the process of establishing this agency so that Nigeria can benefit from research grants from donor agencies, the diaspora, international communities, UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations willing to fund research,” he said.
The lawmaker argued that the hearing would have provided the minister an opportunity to raise objections, identify problematic provisions or suggest amendments rather than simply endorse the proposed legislation. Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Zakariya Tijjani Zannah, said Nigeria needed a sustainable funding mechanism to support research, coordinate scientific activities and translate discoveries into commercially viable products.
He said the country had the intellectual capacity and research talent to drive innovation but lacked a dependable legal and institutional framework to finance the sector. “No nation has grown its economy or secured its food and health without sustained investment in research and innovation. Nigeria has the talent; what we lack is a dependable legal and institutional framework to fund, coordinate and carry research from the laboratory to the marketplace,” Zannah said.
He urged stakeholders to scrutinise the proposed governance structure, funding arrangements and grant allocation process to ensure transparency and accountability. The committee chairman particularly called for examination of the proposed 20 per cent contribution from the Nigerian Content Development Fund under Section 19 of the bill, alongside other sources of revenue, including government appropriations, grants and proceeds from commercialisation.
