DOING RESEARCH IN NIGERIA Country Report: Assessing Social Science Research System in a Global Perspective National Centre for Technology Management & The Global Development Network July 2020 an international version of this report is available at http://www.gdn.int/doing-research-nigeria DOING RESEARCH IN NIGERIA Country Report: Assessing Social Science Research System in a Global Perspective Cite document as: Egbetokun, A., Olofinyehun, A., Ayo-Lawal, A., Oluwatope, O., Sanni, M., & Yusuff, U. (2020). Doing Research in Nigeria Country Report: Assessing Social Science Research System in a Global Perspective. GDN-NACETEM Disclaimer This report is produced by the National Centre for Technology Management with support from the Global Development Network. The views expressed herein are not necessarily GDN’s views. The Global Development Network is a public international organization that supports high- quality, policy-oriented social science research in developing and transition countries to promote better lives. www.gdn.int The National Centre for Technology Management is an agency of the Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Science and Technology that provides critical knowledge support and constitutes the software component of Nigeria’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) system. www.nacetem.gov.ng Printed by: Printsmind Global Company 77, Ibadan Road, Mayfair, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ISBN: 978-978-57610-6-1 An international version of this report is available at http:www.gdn.int/doing-research-in-nigeria 2 Doing Research in NIGERIA i Research Team Abiodun Egbetokun Adedayo Olofinyehun (Principal Investigator) (Project Manager) Maruf Sanni Aderonke Ayo-Lawal Omolayo Oluwatope Utieyineshola Yusuff ii Doing Research in NIGERIA Foreword factors of the national research system impact its capacity to produce, diffuse and use SSR. The DRA in Nigeria was carried out by a team of NACETEM researchers, using a mixed methods approach. This report documents the findings of the research. The main findings of the research include, among others, the following: 1. Nigeria is the second largest producer of SSR in Africa, but the volume of production is relatively thin when viewed on a global scale. 2. Women are underrepresented in the SSR Domestic research capacity is a critical factor in system in Nigeria; the ratio of female to the accomplishment of global sustainable male social science researchers is 1 to 4. development. It guarantees the creation of 3. Most of the research grants expended scientific proof that is based on significant locally comes from foreign sources. analyses of each country's social, development 4. There is little political influence on the and policy challenges. Achieving the global production and dissemination of SSR in sustainable development agenda at the national Nigeria. In other words, researchers enjoy level requires significant domestic research a good level of freedom in producing and capacity. This will help to ensure the production discussing research. Yet social science of scientific evidence that is based on critical researchers do not communicate analyses of each country's social, development extensively with policymakers and the and policy challenges. Such evidence will help to general public. inform contextually relevant actions and reforms. However, detailed system-wide data on 5. Journals are published in many university the social science research (SSR) system is scarce departments, but there is no database or in sub-Saharan Africa, and this hinders effective accreditation system for local journals in policymaking. While international agencies like Nigeria. the UNESCO Institute of Statistics routinely This report provides a detailed characterization gather data, such efforts still rely on locally of the Nigerian SSR system and offers innovative generated information. ways of overcoming identified challenges. It thus In the specific case of Nigeria, there exists no gives me a great pleasure to commend this mechanism to routinely gather nationwide data report to readers, particularly social science on the domestic SSR system. Hence, useful researchers and others who wish to connect indicators such as: human capital, production, their research to social impact. infrastructure, diffusion and uptake of SSR are not readily available. The Doing Research Engineer Professor kechukwu Ukwuoma, PhD, FIIA, FNSChE, MNSE, KSM Assessment (DRA) helps to fill this gap by DG/CEO NACETEM systematically understanding how critical iii. Doing Research in NIGERIA iii The Doing Research Program Bridging the research gap and Doing Research National Focal Points – improving development policies A Southern network of local ‘research Today, governments and donors alike have little on research’ expertise systematic information about the state of social Through the collaboration between GDN and science research, except for in a few developed these local institutions, the program aims to countries. Yet, the implementation of the global inspire research policies, map research agenda for sustainable development requires strengths, support research capacity-building local research capacities to ensure that the efforts and enhance the quality of research that scientific community is equipped to critically can be used for policy decisions and local analyze development and policy challenges, and democratic debate in developing countries. to accompany actions and reforms with Social science research provides a critical contextualized knowledge of the local analysis of societies and human behavior and environment. contributes to a better understanding of An in-depth analysis of research systems is key development challenges – which is fundamental to understanding how to bridge this gap and to realizing national and global development raise the profile of research generated in agendas. Country reports, comparative global developing countries. Research systems analysis reports and data will inform actors from can help policymakers, donors and academics research, development and policy communities answer the question: What can be done to a b o u t t h e i r p o l i c y - o r i e n t e d r e s e a r c h further generate and mainstream local research environment and how it can be improved. as a key input to public debate and sustainable human development policies? Doing Research Assessment: to understand, map and assess research systems4 Assessing and benchmarking social A unique feature of Doing Reseach Assessment science research systems is the equal importance the methodology gives Doing Research (launched in 2014) is an initiative to production, diffusion and uptake factors and of the Global Development Network (GDN) that actors in the analysis of systemic barriers and aims to systematically assess how the features opportunities for social science development. It of a national research system1 impact the involves three steps for analyzing the factors capacity to produce, diffuse and use quality that impact the social science research system in social science research to the benefit of social a given country or region, which will lead to and economic development. A pilot phase several knowledge outputs and awareness- (2014-2017) in 13 countries was supported by raising efforts. The steps include context the Agence Française de Développement, the Bill analysis, mapping of research actors and the & Melinda Gates Foundation, the French Ministry Doing Research Framework. o f F o r e i g n A ff a i r s a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development, and the Swiss Agency for Doing Research Framework: the core of the Development and Cooperation. In 2017, GDN assessment conducted a synthesis of the pilot studies2 and The Doing Research Framework is a mixed- developed a standard methodology for studying methods research module that allows a social science research systems in developing contextualized comparative enquiry into a 3 countries , the 'Doing Research Assessment'. national research system, looking at key factors Since 2018, GDN has been implementing Doing that determine the production, diffusion and Research Assessments in partnership with uptake of social science research. It would competitively selected national research typically serve as a magnifying glass to identify institutions, with the aim of generating evidence aspects that need the attention of the regulator, on research systems. The program also aims to or to provide a baseline for strategizing support the emergence of a network of research investments in capacity-building for research institutions in the Global South dedicated to production, its diffusion or its use. informing national research policies, using new The Framework acts as the basis for comparing research-based, comparative evidence. 1 In this document, the terms ‘research system’ and ‘social 3 www.gdn.int/sites/default/files/GDN%20-%20 science research system’ are used interchangeably. Theoretical%20Framework.pdf 2 www.gdn.int/sites/default/files/GDN-2017-DR-pilot-synthesis.pdf 4 www.gdn.int/doing-research-assessment iv Doing Research in NIGERIA and benchmarking research systems in different environment. Therefore, each country follows countries and includes 54 indicators. These the same framework and general guidelines, indicators are populated according to the allowing for comparisons between different national context framed by the National Focal reports of the indicators that define the Doing Points (NFP); these follow the project guidelines Research Assessments (DRA). The same is true for w h i l e a d a p t i n g t h e m t o t h e i r n a t i