By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology has challenged the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), to reposition itself as a major problem-solving institution for Nigerian industries, insisting that decades of research must translate into commercially viable products rather than remain on laboratory shelves.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, gave the charge on Wednesday, 19 August, 2026 during a visit to the institute in Lagos, alongside other senior ministry officials, as part of efforts to strengthen engagement between the ministry and its agencies.
Muhammad noted that some agencies had not received sufficient attention from the ministry’s leadership over the years, stressing that with FIIRO’s 70-year history and over 700 staff, the institute must move beyond conducting research that ends up unused and ensure its outputs translate into practical, commercially viable solutions.
According to him, the ministry is undergoing a period of renewal, refocusing and recalibration, with renewed emphasis on innovation, industrial development and the commercialisation of research outputs.
“All the products and research that have been done by agencies, including FIIRO, must see the light of day. It can no longer be business as usual for research institutions to develop products that remain in laboratories or are produced only on a limited scale,” Muhammad said.
He described research as fundamentally a process of identifying and solving problems, urging researchers to focus on challenges with practical relevance to industries and society. While acknowledging the academic qualifications and expertise available at FIIRO, the permanent secretary expressed concern that Nigeria had produced large numbers of PhD holders and professors without corresponding levels of technological and industrial innovation.
He said researchers must move beyond pursuing academic publications and instead direct their knowledge towards solving real-life problems.
“An artisan, mechanic, electrician or other skilled worker who solves everyday problems can make more immediate contributions to society than highly trained academics whose research does not produce practical solutions,” he said.
Muhammad further challenged FIIRO to strengthen its relationship with industries, questioning why Nigerian manufacturers and companies were not consistently approaching the institute to solve their technical and production challenges.
“If you solve somebody’s problem, they will pay for it,” he said, adding that research institutions could generate revenue by providing industries with research services, technical solutions, equipment support and staff training.
The Permanent Secretary maintained that Nigeria’s industrial research institutions must become more responsive to the needs of manufacturers and other businesses, noting that industrial development depended on researchers’ ability to address challenges facing companies.
He also raised concerns about gaps in Nigeria’s technical and industrial capacity, citing the employment of thousands of foreign workers on major industrial projects as evidence that more needed to be done to develop local expertise, adding that research institutions had a critical role to play in helping Nigeria build the technical capacity required for industrialisation and reduce dependence on foreign expertise.
Muhammad disclosed that he would engage FIIRO’s management and staff to identify factors limiting the institute from fully achieving the vision for which it was established, and promised to inspect its facilities and equipment to assess its capacity and determine the support required to strengthen its operations.
He said the ministry was determined to ensure that FIIRO lived up to its mandate as an industrial research institution by focusing on solutions that supported industries, created economic value and contributed to national development.
The Permanent Secretary said the visit was intended not only to familiarise the ministry with the institute and its workforce but also to challenge its researchers and management to leave their comfort zones and embrace a more results-driven approach to industrial research.
“Industrial research must solve industrial problems. The institute must take advantage of its expertise, facilities and strategic location in Lagos to become a trusted partner for Nigerian industries,” he stressed.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of FIIRO, Dr Jummai Tutuwa, described the permanent secretary’s visit as a major source of encouragement and an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the ministry and the institute.
She explained that the institute was established to address Nigeria’s need for coordinated industrial research and to promote research and development capable of supporting industrialisation and economic growth, noting that it originated from the recommendations of a World Bank economic mission to Nigeria in 1953, which identified fragmentation and lack of coordination in the country’s industrial research activities.
“The Federal Institute of Industrial Research was subsequently established in 1956 to conduct and promote research and development for industrialisation and socio-economic development. The institute’s mandate includes identifying and developing appropriate technologies in food and agro-allied processing and other industrial areas. It supports the transfer and utilisation of such technologies by local manufacturing industries, as well as undertaking project feasibility studies and consultancy services,” she said.
The FIIRO director-general noted that the institute currently operates several technical and non-technical departments, with six zonal offices across the country in addition to its Lagos headquarters.
She disclosed that the zonal offices had been moved to their permanent sites since the current management assumed office in 2022, with their laboratories equipped to conduct research on bioresources available within their respective regions.
Tutuwa said the zonal offices had exceeded management’s expectations, producing and developing locally-made products and innovations that had been showcased at national exhibitions.
She further disclosed that the institute operates 55 laboratories and workshops where research and innovation activities are carried out, adding that some of the facilities required urgent renovation and structural intervention due to their age.
Despite the infrastructure challenges, the FIIRO boss said its research efforts had continued to receive national recognition, having clinched first position at the annual Science Expo organised by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology in both 2022 and 2023.
She showcased a range of recent research breakthroughs and innovations developed at the institute’s headquarters and zonal offices, spanning food processing, health management, renewable energy, agriculture and industrial applications.
“Some of the innovations include pharmaceutical and natural products, low-glycemic food products, locally sourced flour and confectionery materials, organic fertiliser, medicinal products, wines and other value-added agricultural products. Also, machines have been designed and fabricated to support employment and industrial development,” she said.
She added that many of the research outputs had been patented, while others were at different stages of the patenting process.
Tutuwa reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to professionalism, accountability, innovation and excellence, pledging continued support for the policies and directives of the ministry and the Federal Government.
She said the institute had maintained partnerships with several local and international organisations, including regulatory agencies, standards bodies, professional institutions, manufacturers, small and medium-scale enterprises and development partners.
She expressed optimism that the visit by the ministry’s leadership would deepen cooperation and provide greater support for the institute to fulfil its mandate as Nigeria’s foremost industrial research institution.
The ministry’s delegation was also expected to tour FIIRO’s laboratories and workshops to gain first-hand knowledge of the research, technologies and innovations being developed by the institute.
