The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) and Civil Society Coalition have thrown their weight behind the National Research and Innovations Council (NRIC) Establishment bill 2022.
Indeed, ASURI and the CSO’s applauded the 9th Senate, the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and sponsor of the bill, Senator Frank Ibezim for recognising that Research and Development is key to the development of any nation.
Presenting a memorandum at a public hearing for the bill on Thursday in Abuja, General Secretary of ASURI, Dr. Theophilus Ndubuaku recalled that the bill which has been denied presidential assent twice, had suffered from wrong advice to the presidency.
He however expressed optimism that the time of the bill has come. “We are so sure now that its time has come” he said.
He recalled that NRIC was inaugurated during the President Goodluck Jonathan’ s administration, saying it’s first meeting took place on 6th January 2016, under the Chairmanship of President Muhammadu Buhari, added that the bill only gives legal muscle to the already existing institution.
According to Ndubuaku, “ASURI have remained the leading and indeed, the lone voice in the wilderness, over the years for institutionalized mechanism for research funding and coordination, as provided by the National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation, as represented by NRIC”.
He said the only reason why Nigeria is the world’s poverty capital instead of wealth capital is that successive governments have neglected research which is the only vehicle any nation can develop.
He noted “following the sustained advocacy by ASURI and the CSO’s comprising of over 30 NGO’s, the office of the secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in a letter dated 30th Nov 2021, advised ASURI to re-introduce the bill to the 9th National Assembly, while monitoring the stages that it passes through and inform the SGF when it is finalised and awaiting presidential assent”.
Comparatively, Ndubuaku stated that while South Africa with a population of 59.3million spends 1.5 percent of its GDP on the funding of research, Nigeria with a population of 213million spends a paltry 0.22 percent.
He said “It is projected that if and when NRIC comes on board, Nigeria’s outlay on research funding would increase five times to one percent of its GDP”.
