The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), has launched a comprehensive Nigeria Impact Investing Research and Industry Collaborative (NIIRIC) Stakeholder Mapping Report  to identify critical gaps and collaboration opportunities in Nigeria’s research, innovation, and commercialisation landscape.

This pivotal study, officially launched in Lagos provides an in-depth assessment of Nigeria’s research ecosystem, identifying key public and private stakeholders involved in research and innovation, as well as those who utilize research findings.

Funded by the UK International Development of the UK Government in the third phase of the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund’s Sustainable Systems for Research and Innovation Financing Project (SSRIF II), this report provides vital data to drive policy reforms, strategic investments, and cross-sector collaboration among key stakeholders, including academia, government, industry, and investors.

The Nigerian research and innovation ecosystem is a dynamic yet under-optimised network involving key stakeholders across academia, government, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), financial institutions, and international bodies.

The gap between academia and industry remains a significant challenge, compounded by inadequate funding, outdated infrastructure, and a lack of coordination among research bodies.

This report provides actionable recommendations to foster an environment where research is not only published but also translated into impactful, scalable businesses. The study called for an alignment between academia, industry, government, and other stakeholders to unlock Nigeria’s full potential in innovation-driven economic growth.

Key findings from the report include the following:

A lack of structured pathways for commercialisation is a barrier that limits its impact on economic development.

The absence of a centralized platform has led to fragmented efforts and missed opportunities for scaling innovations.

Weak intellectual property protection, limited funding, and unclear commercialization guidelines remain barriers to private-sector engagement.

Strategic partnerships and dedicated financing mechanisms can accelerate the transformation of research into market-ready solutions.

“This report is a game-changer for Nigeria’s research ecosystem. By mapping out key players and identifying the challenges they face, we now have a clear direction for collaboration to bridging gaps and creating a thriving research commercialisation framework,”

Etemore Glover, CEO of Impact Investors Foundation, said.

“We aim to leverage the report’s insights to scale innovations that positively impact the community. Our priorities are to promote local innovation and self-sufficiency, both locally and nationally, and to cultivate a robust collaboration ecosystem between researchers and industry,”

Oretanya Oreva, Director, Lagos Business School Sustainability Center and Lead, Capacity Building, NIIRIC Steering Committee, said.

The full report is now available for download here http://bit.ly/NIIRICREPORT. For more information, please contact Kingsley Godwin, Program Manager, NIIRIC – kgodwin@impactinvestorsfoundation.org

The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) is a leading organisation dedicated to advancing impact investing in Nigeria by facilitating knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and information flow to encourage the development of impact investing. Its vision is to unlock domestic and international capital, seeking to make impactful investments that benefit people across diverse sectors and geographies in Nigeria. IIF has significantly advanced Nigerian impact investing through diverse programmes like convenings, deal matchmaking, capacity building, and research. Its public-private partnerships have garnered government support, notably positioning the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as the “Champion Ministry” and leading to the $1 billion Nigerian Wholesale Impact Investment Fund. The Nigerian National Advisory Board for Impact Investing (NABII), an initiative of IIF, tackles industry challenges across capital supply and demand, policy, and intermediation. This has led to the $1 billion Nigerian Wholesale Impact Investment Fund (WIIF), with government backing, to address MSME financing gaps. Other initiatives include Deal Source Africa, facilitating $1.7 million in deals, the Nigerian Impact Investment and Industry Research Collaborative (NIIRIC) promoting research commercialisation, and the Enterprise Support Organisation (ESO) Collaborative empowering 184 ESOs to develop investment-ready businesses and influence policy. These efforts drive sustainable development and economic growth in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Impact Investing Research and Industry Collaborative (NIIRIC) is Nigeria’s premier network dedicated to advancing the nation’s impact investing, research, and innovation ecosystem. NIIRIC is actively addressing the critical need for high-quality research, cohesive industry collaboration, capacity-building, and a robust policy framework for the impact investing, research and innovation sector in Nigeria. As the leading collaborative platform, NIIRIC is driving the advancement of Nigeria’s impact investing, research, and innovation ecosystem by bringing together academia, researchers, think tanks, businesses, industry leaders, civil society, and policymakers to foster collaboration, enhance capacity, promote evidence-based advocacy, and implement impactful initiatives.