This information was shared by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, during his address at the SciBiz 2024 annual conference held in Abuja.
The conference, organized by Triple Helix Nigeria, focused on the theme “Integrating Research, Innovation, and Policy: Triple Helix Pathway to Research Commercialization.”
Ogbe, represented by Silas Ajimijaye, the General Manager of Research and Development, emphasized that the Triple Helix model—fostering collaboration among academia, industry, and government—serves as an effective international business framework for illustrating the conversion of research into innovative products and services.
He highlighted the critical role of funding in supporting meaningful and sustainable initiatives, which led to the establishment of a vital fund in 2020.
The Executive Secretary pointed out the necessity of leveraging the expertise, advanced technologies, and best practices from international experts and institutions to enhance Nigeria’s research and innovation capabilities.
He characterized partnerships as a strategic means to bolster local efforts, positioning Nigeria as a significant contributor to global innovation.
“Strategically, the Triple Helix model of academia, industry, and government collaboration is an appropriate international business framework for expressing ideas about how research can be turned into new products and services,” he said.
“One avenue through which NCDMB exercises this mandate is by applying local content development to enhance research and the commercialisation of innovative solutions for Nigeria’s oil industry.
“So, we have the $50 million Nigeria Content Research and Development Fund, created by the Board in 2020. It is designed to provide the much-needed research funding within the oil and gas research and development space.”
Ogbe highlighted that more impactful research initiatives will be introduced in the coming months, in addition to the 14 applied research projects currently at various stages of technological readiness. He encouraged participants to seek out collaborative opportunities to formulate strategies that would foster advancement.
In his opening remarks, Abdulmalik Halilu, President of Triple Helix Nigeria, underscored the significance of research commercialization, referring to it as a crucial step in enhancing discussions surrounding research.
He pointed out that the conference aims to ensure research extends beyond academic confines and is transformed into practical innovations that address real-world challenges.
He referenced the World Intellectual Property Organization, which reported that Nigeria's annual patent applications increased from fewer than 100 in 2016 to over 400 in 2023.
He asserted that this remarkable growth indicates that, with the appropriate policy framework, Nigeria has the potential to evolve its universities into entrepreneurial centers of excellence focused on solutions.
“In this era of continuous consolidation, the vision of the university has fundamentally shifted. The role of universities is no longer confined to educating minds or advancing theoretical knowledge,” he said.
“We now recognise that universities play a central role in the commercialisation of research, turning knowledge into tangible progress that drives economic growth.
“The transition from educational research to commercialisation stems from an evolving frontier where academia, industry, and government collaborate under the Triple Helix model to ensure research transcends the boundaries of laboratories and classrooms, solving real-world problems and fostering economic prosperity.”
Halilu, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at NCDMB, provided international examples of universities collaborating with major corporations to invest in startups emerging from their research. This strategy generates revenue opportunities for the educational institutions.
“Our universities must not only produce quality academic qualifications but also turn research outcomes into products that create new businesses and generate returns for the university,” Halilu added.
Eucharia Nwaichi, Chair of the Planning Committee for the Triple Helix Conference, reported that more than 158 authors submitted a total of 47 high-quality papers for consideration.
She elaborated that these papers establish a framework highlighting the essential roles of academia, industry, and government in promoting sustainable development.
Nwaichi noted that participants in the conference were sourced from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria as well as from the diaspora.
“We received an 8 per cent contribution from the diaspora. From the South-East of Nigeria, we had a 5 per cent contribution, and from the South-South zone, a remarkable 60 per cent,” she said.
“We received 8 per cent from the South-West, 16 per cent from the North-Central, 3 per cent from the North-East, and 15 per cent from the North-West.
“This diversity highlights the national relevance of the conference and underscores the importance of engaging stakeholders from every corner of Nigeria, including the diaspora.
“In terms of Triple Helix representation, the breakdown of paper contributors is: academia, 55 per cent; industry, 31 per cent; and government, 14 per cent.”