House Moves to Institutionalise Use of Strategic Research Findings in National Policy Formulation

House Moves to Institutionalise Use of Strategic Research Findings in National Policy Formulation The House of Representatives has moved to institutionalise the consideration and utilisation of strategic research findings in national policy formulation, development planning and governance.The move followed a motion sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki, who represents Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency.The motion seeks to establish a coordinated framework for the systematic review, referral and monitoring of strategic research recommendations produced by key national institutions, including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru; the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja; and the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS).The lawmakers noted that the Federal Government had over the years established and sustained these institutions to undertake research, develop strategic leadership capacity and provide informed policy recommendations to address Nigeria’s economic, security, governance and developmental challenges.The House further noted that the institutions regularly produce comprehensive reports and policy recommendations through their executive courses, studies programmes and research activities, drawing on the expertise of senior public servants, military and security officers, academics, policymakers and other professionals.The House also acknowledged the statutory mandate of NIPSS under Section 3 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Act to conduct interdisciplinary research into Nigeria’s social, economic, political and security challenges and present practical policy options to support national policy formulation and implementation.It cited Sections 13 and 18 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which provide for institutional consultation in the preparation of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and establish the framework as the basis for annual budget preparation.According to the motion, these provisions offer an existing legal framework through which strategic research findings can contribute to national economic planning and expenditure priorities.The lawmakers observed that although research reports and policy recommendations from the institutions are periodically presented to the Presidency and other relevant authorities, there is a need for a more systematic and coordinated mechanism to ensure their formal consideration, referral to responsible Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and follow-up on decisions arising from their recommendations.The House expressed concern that the absence of a clearly defined, government-wide framework requiring relevant MDAs to formally review and respond to strategic research recommendations could limit the effective utilisation of public investments in research.The motion also warned that without an established process linking strategic research findings to national development plans, medium-term fiscal planning, sectoral policies and programme implementation, the government could overlook practical policy options for addressing recurring national challenges and improving public expenditure.To address the concerns, the House expressed the conviction that institutionalising a formal Government Response to Strategic Research Recommendations mechanism would strengthen evidence-based governance, promote accountability and ensure greater value from publicly funded strategic research.Under the proposed mechanism, relevant MDAs would be required to document whether recommendations referred to them were accepted, accepted with modification, deferred or rejected, alongside reasons for their decisions and proposed implementation measures where applicable.The motion urged the Federal Government, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant authorities, to establish a coordinated framework for receiving, reviewing, referring and monitoring strategic research recommendations from NIPSS, NDC and NISS.It also called on the government to integrate consideration of research recommendations into existing national development planning and budgetary processes, including the MTEF, Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) and annual budget preparation.In addition, the motion urged the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with relevant defence, intelligence and security authorities, to establish procedures for the secure consideration and utilisation of strategic research findings from NDC and NISS, while safeguarding classified information and national security interests.The lawmakers further called for a periodic reporting mechanism, through existing administrative and performance-monitoring structures, to track the consideration and implementation of strategic research recommendations, with appropriate summaries made available for accountability and policy evaluation, subject to applicable confidentiality requirements.The motion also mandated the Committees on National Planning, National Security and Intelligence, Defence and Special Duties to engage the concerned institutions, monitor the establishment and implementation of the proposed framework, and report back to the House within four weeks.The proposed measures are aimed at creating a more structured link between publicly funded strategic research and government decision-making, with the objective of improving policy coordination, institutional learning and the implementation of national development priorities.