Nigerian Academy of Science

Nigerian Academy of Science
Name	Nigerian Academy of Science
Formation	1977
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Abuja
Region	Nigeria
Language	English
Leader title	President

Nigerian Academy of Science is Nigeria's national academy for scientists and scholars, established to promote scientific research, advise policymakers, and recognize excellence in scientific achievement. The academy serves as a nexus between researchers, institutions, and national decision-makers, engaging with international bodies and domestic stakeholders to influence public policy, scientific capacity, and innovation. It operates within a network of universities, research institutes, and professional societies across Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

History

The academy was founded in 1977 amid conversations involving figures associated with University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Obafemi Awolowo University, and ministries linked to Murtala Muhammed era reforms. Early leadership included scholars connected to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and research institutions such as International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and National Research Institute for Chemical Technology. Over subsequent decades the academy interacted with international organizations including Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), African Academy of Sciences, and UNESCO while responding to national crises tied to public health events like HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria and agricultural challenges involving International Fertilizer Development Center. The history includes advisory roles during administrations with ties to Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan.

Organization and Governance

Governance structures parallel those of academies such as Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences (United States), with an elected President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and council drawn from fellows affiliated with University of Benin, University of Ilorin, Lagos State University, and federal research organizations like Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Committees often liaise with agencies like Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (Nigeria), Nigerian Communications Commission, and regional bodies such as Economic Community of West African States. The academy’s statutes and standing orders reflect practices seen in Academia Brasileira de Ciências and Académie des sciences.

Membership and Fellowship

Fellowship is conferred on distinguished scientists from universities and institutes, including nominees from Covenant University, University of Port Harcourt, Nasarawa State University, and research centers such as Centre for Energy Research and Development. Fellows have included experts with careers linked to World Health Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and professional societies like Chemical Society of Nigeria and Nigerian Institute of Physics. The academy maintains categories for elected Fellows, Honorary Fellows, and Corresponding Fellows comparable to peer bodies like The Royal Society of Canada and The Japan Academy.

Activities and Programs

Programs include national symposia, policy workshops, capacity-building initiatives, and public lectures that attract participants from institutions such as University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Jos, and international partners including Imperial College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of Cambridge. The academy runs training schemes with organizations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Rockefeller Foundation, and regional collaborations with African Union-linked science programs. It organizes roundtables on topics linked to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and health ministries addressing outbreaks like Lassa fever.

Publications and Research Contributions

The academy issues policy briefs, technical reports, and monographs that synthesize expertise from contributors at University of Ibadan Department of Zoology, Ahmadu Bello University Faculty of Medicine, University of Lagos Faculty of Engineering, and institutes such as National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure. Publications have informed national strategies connected to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation reform debates, agricultural development tied to International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and public health guidance during Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. Collaborative research outputs involve partners like Wellcome Sanger Institute, NIH, European Commission Horizon 2020, and African Development Bank.

Awards and Fellowships

The academy bestows awards and fellowships to recognize achievement, analogous to honors from Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences (United States), and collaborates with bodies such as TETFund and MTN Foundation to support research scholarships. Recipients often hail from University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, and research institutes like National Veterinary Research Institute and Institute of Child Health, Lagos. Named lectures and medals draw parallels with prizes such as the Copley Medal and Darwin Medal in terms of prestige within the national scientific community.

Partnerships and Influence on Policy

The academy partners with government ministries like Federal Ministry of Health (Nigeria), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Nigeria), and agencies including National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority to provide evidence to decision-makers, mirroring engagements by Royal Society with the UK Government and National Academy of Sciences (United States) with the United States Congress. It engages with international donors and multilateral institutions such as World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, and regional entities like Economic Community of West African States to influence policy on infectious disease, energy policy tied to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and climate resilience involving Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments. The academy’s advisory outputs have informed legislation and national plans interacting with agencies such as National Assembly of Nigeria and federal research funding mechanisms like TETFund.

Category:Scientific organizations based in Nigeria