Alternative Model of Funding for Academic Research in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

Funding of academic research in Nigerian universities by Government (5 per cent recurrent grants) is a policy dictated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the central body for allocating research funds.This research fund, little as it is, is irregular and inadequate and to make it worse isdifficult to access. These aforementioned factors have contributed to the decline in research activity as a means of attaining sustainable development in Nigeria. Thus, this article proposes a dual support system of funding academic research as follows: a devolution of the power of the NUC as the central body for administering research funds and the encouragement of another separate body such as the Education Tax Fund (ETF) to promote a healthy competitive research process and collaborative research among university research groups and individuals. These separate bodies (NUC and ETF) should be similar to the dual support system of operation, policies and procedures in the UK, where there is the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils. These bodies collaborate to build and maintain a sustainable research base in the UK.The dual support system as it is operated in the UK is very efficient in backing research in universities, because the research is supported at a marginal cost and provides a research council component of provision irrespective of geographical location.

Assessment of health-care research and its challenges among medical doctors in Nigeria

“…1 Unlike most developed countries where 1.5%–3.0% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on research, available data showed that the total yearly budgetary allocation to research in Nigeria is about 0.3% of the GDP, far below the National Science Policy which recommends 5%. 8 Research funding, to a large extent, determines the quality of research output. 8 Therefore, poor funding might have accounted for a restriction in the scope of researches to those which could be achieved with low-to-medium budgets and consequently lead to its limited contribution to new knowledge or impact.…”

Revisiting Nursing Research in Nigeria

“…[19] In trying to address the burden of proper funding of the educational sector, the federal government through the Minister of education had call on society to participate in the provision of university education with the government. [20] Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with an estimated population of over 180 million people.…”

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“…The effects of this funding problem could have resulted to some of Obonya's(2002) earlier observations alluding to deterioration of physical facilities; internal and external brain drain among the intellectual class; and overstretching of teaching, research and managerial capacities in Nigerian University system. In relation to the University's mandate on research for instance, Olayiwola (2010) claimed that since most research input and equipment are imported, the purchasing power of the Naira has been weakening as a result of devaluation of currency caused by the poor state of the economy. Most of the input in the form of books, journals, and laboratory equipment could not be sustained for research activities (Olayiwola, 2010).…”

“…In relation to the University's mandate on research for instance, Olayiwola (2010) claimed that since most research input and equipment are imported, the purchasing power of the Naira has been weakening as a result of devaluation of currency caused by the poor state of the economy. Most of the input in the form of books, journals, and laboratory equipment could not be sustained for research activities (Olayiwola, 2010). As a result of these daunting teaching and research situations, Universities administrators have consistently identified funding issues as a critical challenge in discharging their functions effectively (Shina, 2012).…”