• Nigeria launches research-to-commercialisation policy, sets up implementation committees

• Policy targets turning publicly funded research into market-ready products

• Government allocates funds amid weak research uptake and labour market strain

The Nigerian government on Friday unveiled a national research-to-commercialisation policy in Abuja and set up two committees to develop and implement it. In a statement, it said the initiative aims to turn publicly funded research into market-ready products and services that can create jobs and boost competitiveness.

Speaking at the launch, Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa said that despite heavy investment in universities, research institutes and specialised agencies, much of the country’s research output remains underused. He said the policy lays out pathways to move research beyond academic publishing and into scalable, commercially viable applications, while strengthening collaboration between government, academia, industry and funders.

The framework is backed by budget allocations. The 2026 budget includes 2 billion naira ($1.41 million) for the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee, 3 billion naira for programme operations, and a 50 million naira seed fund for students.

The policy aims to address a long-standing gap in an economy where research rarely translates into commercial value, due to weak funding, limited intellectual property protection and poor links with industry.

It comes as the labour market remains under strain. The headline unemployment rate stood at about 4.9% at end-2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, but that figure understates underemployment and the scale of informal work, especially among young people. Research and development spending remains below 0.2% of GDP, which the World Bank says is too low to support a knowledge-based economy.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou