The federal government has unveiled the Nigeria Genomic City, a flagship initiative aimed at harnessing the country’s genomic resources to advance scientific research, improve healthcare, strengthen food security and drive economic growth.
The project, which will be hosted at the University of Abuja, is part of the federal government’s plan to reposition Nigeria as a knowledge and innovation-driven economy.
Speaking on Thursday at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, Tunji Alausa, minister of education, said the initiative would position Nigeria as a leading hub for genomics, biotechnology and precision medicine.
Alausa warned that Nigeria risks squandering its demographic advantage if it fails to invest in research, science and innovation.
“The biggest demographic dividend ever witnessed anywhere in the world could become a demographic calamity for us if we fail to act. We do not have a choice,” the minister said.
He described the Nigeria Genomic City as a strategic national investment that would lay the foundation for long-term scientific and economic development.
The minister said the initiative was conceived more than 20 months ago and deliberately designed as a multi-agency, multi-ministerial project because of its national significance.
Alausa said although the idea originated while he served as minister of state for health and continued after he became minister of education; he resisted efforts to place it under a single ministry.
According to him, the project belongs to Nigeria and should be driven through broad collaboration across government institutions.
He said the Tinubu administration is committed to shifting the country from a resource-based economy to one powered by knowledge, research, technology and innovation.
The minister said advanced economies have built trillion-dollar industries around biotechnology and genomics, while Nigeria continues to underutilise one of the world’s richest genomic resources.
He warned that unequal international data-sharing arrangements have allowed valuable African genomic data to generate significant value abroad with limited benefits to the continent.
Alausa said Nigeria must strengthen data sovereignty, protect its scientific resources and attract global partnerships that deliver mutual benefits.
He also disclosed that the federal government is finalising plans to establish the National Research and Innovation Development Fund, which is expected to mobilise nearly $500 million annually to support research and innovation.
According to him, the proposed legislation will soon be presented to the federal executive council (FEC) and the national assembly before being transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The minister said the federal ministry of education would coordinate the implementation of the Nigeria Genomic City, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Board for Technology Incubation and other strategic partners would provide technological and innovation support.
Suwaiba Ahmad, minister of state for education, described the project as an opportunity for Nigeria to emerge as a global leader in scientific innovation.
She said Nigeria’s large population, growing research capacity and expanding pool of technical experts provide a strong foundation for the initiative.
‘PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE, AGRICULTURE’
Presenting the technical framework, Mayowa Owolabi, pioneer director of the Centre for Genomic and Precision Medicine at the University of Ibadan, said the project would establish a national platform built on genomic, biological and health data.
He said the initiative would support the discovery, development and commercialisation of innovative solutions for disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment while also improving crop and livestock production.
Owolabi added that the project would strengthen food security, promote biotechnology, protect Nigeria’s genomic resources through data sovereignty and intellectual property safeguards, and integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and bioinformatics.
He said the Nigeria Genomic City would also develop a world-class scientific workforce, attract investment, deepen collaboration with Nigerian researchers in the diaspora and position the country as an exporter of scientific discoveries and biotechnology innovations.
