Tinubu to ministers: Ensure research outcomes guide policy development

President Bola Tinubu has directed that research outcomes in the fields of science and technology be used to enrich policies that impact the real sector.

Tinubu issued the directive on Thursday to relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDA) when a delegation from the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) visited him at the State House, Abuja.

The delegation was led by Ekanem Braide, the president of NAS.

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, said in a statement, that the NAS delegation came to confer “Grand patron of science” on Tinubu.

The president said his administration is advancing an all-encompassing approach to leveraging the capacity of Nigerians to innovate and create solutions from all spheres of human initiative.

He said the innovations would span across the public and private sectors, including farming, manufacturing, information technology, and academia.

“The pathway to unlocking the potential of our national contribution to the global economy of tomorrow lies in what we do today,” Ngelale quoted the president as saying.

“I am fully committed to the comprehensive integration of research, and the outcomes of research with the process of policy formulation and implementation in all fields of national endeavour.”

The president also said the pace of change around the world, reflected in some national and global challenges, requires more reliance on research for solutions and actionable data, especially in health and education.

“The minister of education, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, and the minister of budget and economic planning are here,” he said.

“All the relevant ministries should sit up and ensure that science research guides process development in relevant areas of advantage. We must not fail to utilize research outcomes in the process of enriching our policies.”

Ekanem Braide, NAS president, said a national research fund should be established as the country moves towards a knowledge-driven economy.

“Mr. President, we thank you for your support for a national research fund and we believe that this will go a long way in resolving our challenges and indeed, we can make quicker progress if we take advantage of the inputs of all Nigerians from the business community, the academia, and the public sector,” Braide said.

She advised that the nation’s educational institutions be upscaled in science research infrastructure and funding.