By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Federal Government has approved a sweeping reform package aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s research ecosystem and restoring integrity to academic honours, following decisions reached at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of April 30 presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

Central to the reforms is the creation of a $500 million annual National Research and Innovation Development Fund, designed to provide sustainable financing for research, innovation, and the commercialisation of discoveries across universities, research institutions, and the private sector.

Briefing State House correspondents, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a “Game-changer” that would address longstanding challenges such as fragmentation, weak coordination, and duplication in Nigeria’s research landscape.

According to him, the fund will operate as a flexible agency under the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, with a leadership structure comprising a Chief Executive Officer, three Executive Directors, and a General Counsel. It will be supervised by the National Council on Research and Innovation, chaired by the Vice President and comprising key government officials, academia, and private sector stakeholders.

Alausa explained that funding will be disbursed through a merit-based and competitive process, with strict performance benchmarks and annual reporting requirements for beneficiaries. Priority areas include food security, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.

He added that the fund, backed by a dedicated first-line charge, aligns with the administration’s ambition to grow Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by unlocking the potential of local researchers and innovators. The Attorney-General has been directed to prepare an executive bill for submission to the National Assembly to provide legal backing for the initiative.

In a related development, the government also approved a new policy regulating the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities, introducing strict measures to curb abuse, politicisation, and commercialisation.

Under the policy, recipients of honorary degrees are prohibited from prefixing “Dr” to their names in any official, academic, or professional context. Instead, they must clearly indicate the honorary nature of the award by appending designations such as “Honoris Causa” after their names.

Alausa warned that misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic qualifications would now be treated as academic fraud, attracting legal and reputational consequences.

The policy further restricts honorary awards to four categories—Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts)—and bars institutions without established PhD programmes from conferring such honours.

The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, noted that the policy gives legal backing to the 2012 Keffi Declaration, which previously lacked enforcement power.

To ensure compliance, the National Universities Commission will monitor institutions, sanction violators, and publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients. The government also plans to work with the media to discourage the improper use of academic titles.

The twin reforms signal a coordinated effort by the Federal Government to boost innovation-driven development while safeguarding the credibility of Nigeria’s academic system.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching university staff says its ongoing nationwide strike will be suspended on Monday.

JAC comprises the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

The JAC decision was contained in a circular jointly issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Peters Adeyemi, NASU General Secretary, and Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU National President respectively.

The circular was addressed to all branch chairmen of NASU and SSANU in universities and inter-university centres across the country

The committee recalled that the unions had engaged in a series of meetings with government officials since the strike commenced on May 1, 2026.

It added that discussions focused on demands of members and conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

It said another crucial meeting was held on Tuesday with the FGN Expanded Renegotiation Committee, chaired by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

“The government committee acknowledged further review of the government’s earlier offer requires approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The committee said it considered the appeal by the government for suspension of the ongoing strike to allow negotiations to continue.

“The committee acknowledged the government’s commitment that renegotiations, including review of CONTTA, would be concluded within two weeks.

“Branch leaders are hereby urged to note this appeal and convene congresses to report the above, for the suspension of the strike, effective from Monday May 11, 2026, while other engagement with relevant stakeholders continue,” it said.

JAC also acknowledged receipt of appeal letters from the Expanded Tertiary Institutions Renegotiation Committee and withdrawal of the 30 per cent CONTTA increase.

The committee expressed appreciation to all members for total compliance during the industrial action and urged them to remain united.