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Publication Date (Issue Year)
2026
Language
English
Country
Nigeria
Abstract
Nigeria's long-term ambition, set out in Nigeria Agenda 2050, is to become an upper-middle-income, diversified and knowledge-driven economy. The Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2026–2030, now being finalized, is the main vehicle for that goal. These frameworks prioritize economic diversification away from oil, industrialization, agricultural productivity, digital transformation, and human capital development. Science, technology and innovation (STI) is treated as a key driver across all of them. Nigeria's National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy also calls for more investment in research and development, stronger links between research and industry, and wider commercialization of local innovations.
Nigeria is one of the nine African countries contributing to Rsif, demonstrating its commitment to developing the scientific and technological capabilities required for national and regional development. Nigeria has contributed USD 4 million through the World Bank-supported Africa Centres of Excellence for Higher Education for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project to support the training of Nigerian PhD scholars at selected Rsif African Host Universities and their research placements at International Partner Institutions.
Nigeria also plays an important role in the regional Rsif training network by hosting three of the 15 Rsif African Host Universities: The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Bayero University Kano (BUK), and the University of Port Harcourt (UniPort). These institutions provide advanced doctoral training in areas including materials science, natural resource management and climate change, and petroleum and gas engineering/energy economics, while attracting scholars from Nigeria and other African countries.