Science
Vision: Nigerian laboratories that see problems first and solve them here, funded well enough that our best scientists can build their careers at home.
Nigerian scientists have already done world-class work under hard conditions, from containing Ebola to sequencing a new virus. Imagine what they could do with stable funding, shared equipment and careers worth coming home for.
Where we stand
Established facts. Every one has a numbered source below.
Working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemer’s University was the first institution in Africa to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes.[1]
Nigeria stopped its 2014 Ebola outbreak at 20 cases and 8 deaths. The World Health Organization declared it over on 20 October 2014.[2]
The world spent 1.79% of its GDP on research and development in 2018.[3]
The African Union asks its members to invest 1% of GDP in research and development. UNESCO data reported in 2016 put Nigeria at 0.2%.[4]
This is the most recent Nigerian figure we could trace to a reputable report, and it is old. Newer data is welcome.
What we're building
Vision. Not true yet, and all of it is within reach.
Research funded at 1% of GDP
Nigeria meets the African Union target, through competitive, peer-reviewed grants that are announced on schedule and paid on time.
Shared core facilities
Regional hubs with sequencers, mass spectrometers, microscopes and high-performance computing, open to any researcher in the country on fair terms.
Surveillance that sees first
Linked networks watch for human, animal and crop pathogens, so the next outbreak is caught as early as ACEGID caught SARS-CoV-2.
Careers worth coming home for
Nigerian scientists abroad can return without a pay cut or a stalled career, and collaborate across borders as a normal part of the job.
Where we start
Proposed first moves, small enough to begin this year.
An equipment register
A public list of major research instruments in Nigerian institutions, who runs them, and how outside researchers can book time.
Grant-writing circles
Experienced grant holders, at home and abroad, review proposals from early-career Nigerian researchers before submission.
Joint projects with the diaspora
Small collaborative projects that pair a lab in Nigeria with a scientist abroad, starting with crop disease and genomics.
How you can help
Tell us what you know and what you can give. We'll reply personally.
Offer help with science- Scientists abroad
- Co-supervise students, co-author papers, host visiting researchers.
- Lab managers and technicians
- Help keep shared instruments running and train users.
- Grant holders and reviewers
- Join a grant-writing circle and review proposals.
- Institutions and companies
- Donate working equipment or fund instrument time.
Sources
We checked every link and figure on the date shown. If you find a newer or better source, tell us and we'll update the page.
- 1.
World Bank. Africa's scientific solutions and innovation in the fight against COVID-19, 14 July 2021.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 2.
PBS NewsHour. WHO declares Nigeria free of Ebola, 20 October 2014.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 3.
UNESCO. Facts and figures from the UNESCO Science Report 2021, 2021.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 4.
International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). Nigeria trails Mali, Kenya, South Africa in research spending, 3 November 2016.Accessed 10 October 2026.