Biotechnology R&D partnership for industrial innovation in Nigeria

This paper presents the result of an exploratory research into the case of biotechnology research activities in Nigeria and the prospects for university-industry partnerships for biotechnology research and development. As in many developing countries, the research findings demonstrated that modern biotechnology research in Nigeria is largely in the area of cell and tissue culture and agrobiotechnology bias. There is however evidence of isolated cases of research in more advanced biotechnology such as recombinant DNA or genetic engineering, bioprocess technologies, bioinformatics, and cell fusion (molecular diagnostics). It is also shown that the most important constraint on biotechnology research is the poor state of research infrastructure, especially the paucity or non-availability of modern biotechnology research equipment. Most researchers (78.9%) in biotechnology however have foreign collaboration, which has helped in reducing the frustration arising from poor research infrastructure. The study also confirmed the notion that, though multinational companies make substantial application of biotechnology, the stages of production carried out by their affiliates in developing countries such as Nigeria make no significant applications of biotechnology.