By tf-lawyer.com In Abuja, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) took significant steps yesterday to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and government through its annual Triple Helix SciBiz conference. Felix Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, emphasized that research and innovation are vital to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He highlighted the board’s establishment of a $50 million Nigerian Content Research & Development Fund in 2020 to support this mission. The three-day conference was themed “Integrating Research, Innovation, and Policy: Triple Helix Pathway to Research Commercialisation.” During his remarks, which were delivered by Silas Ajimijaye, the General Manager of Planning Research and Statistics, Ogbe explained that the Triple Helix model of collaboration remains a key international framework for transforming research into viable products and services.
Looking ahead, Ogbe mentioned that the NCDMB plans to onboard more impactful research projects in the coming months, building on the existing 14 applied research projects already sponsored at varying stages of technological readiness. “Funding is pivotal to any meaningful sustainable initiative,” he added, reinforcing the significance of the $50 million fund designed to provide essential research financing in the oil and gas R&D domain.
Abdulmalik Halilu, President of Triple Helix Nigeria and Director of Monitoring & Evaluation at NCDMB, noted that the program, launched in 2021, aims to stimulate participation among association members in intellectual discussions, enhancing the culture of research and innovation within Nigeria and across Africa. He shared that the initiative began in October 2021 when a group of like-minded professionals came together to form the Triple Helix Chapter in Nigeria, and membership has since surged from 12 founding members to over 240.
Halilu further explained that the goal of Triple Helix Nigeria is to drive value creation in the Nigerian economy aligned with local content principles and promote the development of technology skill sets to address African challenges. The initiative also seeks to establish a robust advocacy platform for enhancing research capabilities in knowledge institutions and fostering structured partnerships between industry and the research community to attract research-based funding.
At the conference, Prof. Eucharia Nwaichi, Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Triple Helix Nigeria SciBiz Conference 2024, revealed that 156 authors submitted 47 high-quality papers covering various topics. She noted that academia contributed 55% of the papers, industry provided 31%, and government accounted for 14%. “These figures underscore the balanced contribution of the three pillars of the Triple Helix framework, emphasizing the critical role each plays in advancing innovation and fostering economic development through collaborative research and commercialization efforts,” she stated.
Dr. Samuel Onoji, Principal of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), represented by Dr. Tina Isichei, the Director of Research and Development, emphasized the need for research outputs to be commercialized for meaningful economic and social development, rather than remaining filed away. The event saw participation from various stakeholders in the research field, including heads of Nigerian universities and representatives from government agencies.
