Stakeholders in Nigeria’s higher education sector have called on universities across the country to strengthen their ability to attract international grants and develop strategic approaches to resource mobilisation in order to remain globally competitive and financially sustainable.
The call was made during a collaborative research workshop held in Abuja and themed “Unlocking Global Funding: Resource Mobilisation and International Grantsmanship for Nigerian Universities.”
The workshop brought together education administrators, researchers, and institutional leaders to discuss practical ways Nigerian universities can improve access to global research funding opportunities and reduce excessive dependence on government allocations.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Andrew Haruna, said universities around the world are increasingly relying on competitive grants to drive research, innovation, infrastructure growth, and institutional development.
According to him, many Nigerian universities still depend largely on government subventions and interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), while alternative funding opportunities remain largely untapped.
He noted that although Nigerian institutions are eligible for several international funding programmes, many struggle with weak grant proposal development, inadequate institutional support structures, poor collaboration, and limited alignment with donor priorities.
“For many universities, reliance on government funding remains the dominant approach, while other funding opportunities such as international grants, research collaborations, and industry partnerships are not being strategically explored,” Haruna stated.
Participants at the workshop also expressed concern over the growing funding gap between Nigerian universities and leading African institutions.
They referenced reports indicating that University of Cape Town recently unveiled an endowment fund valued at about N441 billion, significantly higher than the combined N6.8 billion endowment funds reportedly held by eight Nigerian public universities.
According to stakeholders, the development highlights long-standing structural challenges affecting financial sustainability and alternative funding generation within Nigeria’s university system.
The workshop identified several underutilized funding opportunities available to Nigerian universities, including:
- Research commercialisation and patent development
- Alumni endowment programmes
- Industry-sponsored research initiatives
- International research grants
- Venture capital and startup incubation
- Diaspora academic partnerships
- Executive education programmes
- Agricultural business ventures
- Philanthropic funding opportunities
- Intellectual property management
Participants observed that many research outputs produced in Nigerian universities often end as academic papers rather than being transformed into commercially viable products, patents, startups, or innovative solutions.
However, some institutions were recognised for making progress in this area.
Covenant University and University of Port Harcourt were highlighted as examples of universities strengthening innovation ecosystems and industry partnerships around research commercialisation.
Similarly, Obafemi Awolowo University was commended for its partnership with OPay to support scholarship and student development initiatives.
Stakeholders also pointed to the growing establishment of grants and partnership offices in some universities as evidence of efforts to improve access to international funding opportunities.
Speaking further, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Optimal Delivery Solutions Projects and Corporate Services Limited, Ken Oguzie, identified three major strategic changes needed for Nigerian universities to attract more international funding.
According to him, universities must move:
- From individual-driven efforts to institution-wide funding strategies
- From localised thinking to globally relevant research priorities
- From competition to collaboration
Oguzie explained that many global funding organisations are increasingly prioritising projects that address pressing global challenges such as:
- Climate change
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Public health
- Food security
- Renewable energy
- Inclusive development
“Grant writing is not just a technical exercise; it is a strategic institutional capability. Once university leadership prioritises grantsmanship, the entire institution follows,” he stated.
He also stressed the importance of interdisciplinary and international collaboration, noting that the most successful grant projects often involve partnerships across multiple institutions and countries.
The workshop additionally exposed participants to emerging trends in global research funding, compliance requirements of major funding agencies, institutional resource mobilisation strategies, and digital tools that can improve research visibility and collaboration.
Also speaking at the event, the Lead Consultant at Optimal Delivery Solutions Projects and Corporate Services Limited, Akanimo Odon, highlighted the importance of building strong international partnerships and internal collaboration within universities to secure competitive grants successfully.
In the same vein, a research officer and facilitator with the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Joy Ezirim, urged Nigerian universities to improve their institutional branding and digital visibility to compete effectively in the global academic environment.
She added that the workshop provided participants with practical strategies for navigating global funding systems, building sustainable grantsmanship structures, and establishing long-term partnerships with international funding agencies.
According to her, the event also created opportunities for networking, peer learning, and collaboration among universities aimed at increasing participation in international research funding programmes.
