President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted two bills to the House of Representatives seeking to overhaul research funding in Nigeria and expand the mandate of the National Postgraduate Medical College.
The two bills are the National Research Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 and the National Postgraduate Medical College (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a letter dated August 24, 2026 and received by the Office of the Speaker on September 24, President Tinubu urged the House to consider and pass the bills into law.
The National Research Development Fund Bill seeks to consolidate fragmented research and development funding across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into a central funding mechanism accessible to research agencies and academic institutions.
According to the President, the proposed fund is designed to improve the utilisation of research resources, promote collaboration among research institutions, academia and the private sector, and align funding with national priorities.
The proposed fund is also expected to support innovation, promote the commercialisation of locally developed technologies and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign technology.
The Bill proposes the establishment of the National Research Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, with direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund.
President Tinubu said the legislation became necessary because of the proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating with separate mandates and budgetary allocations.
He said the proposed framework would facilitate more effective management of available resources for the development of science, technology and innovation.
The President added that the Bill had been reviewed by relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education, Innovation, Science and Technology and Justice.
In the second transmission, President Tinubu forwarded the National Postgraduate Medical College (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage.
The amendment seeks, among other things, to reflect the change in the institutional name of the college and expand its mandate to include the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees in Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and related fields.
The President said the Bill was vetted and finalised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in line with legislative drafting standards and constitutional provisions.
Both bills have now been forwarded to the House of Representatives for legislative action.
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