Scientists under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions(ASURI) have embarked on a street protest over the inability of the federal government to commercialise research findings.

The protesters who converged on the Unity Fountain in Abuja also chided President Muhammadu Buhari’s industrialisation policies, saying despite campaigns for diversification of the economy, government continues to pay lip-service to funding the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Vice President and General Secretary of ASURI, Nnamdi Onunka and Theophilus Ndubuaku, both berated the federal government for being biased in its funding of research institutes.

The protesters however called for the immediate review of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) Act to extend the scope of distribution of the overflowing funds to research institutes.

He said the basis for exclusion of research institutes in the country from benefiting from TETfund’s interventions was unfounded in a nation seriously yearning for economic emancipation.

Some of the protesters bared their grievances through placards with inscriptions such as “What is needful to put Nigeria back to work by paying attention to research institutes,” “No TETfund research no budget for research which way Nigeria?”

Others were “Zero budget for research ‎in 2016 is death sentence on Nigeria development,” “Research is key to development and wealth of any nation,” and ‎”Nigeria is in danger, neglect of research; a coup against our future”.

According to ASURI, all government needed to do was to muster the political will to confront any opposition and do what is fair, just and exigent regarding research funding which is sine qua non to averting the economic collapse of the country.

“The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) has become one of the most controversial issues in the Nigerian media today… We decry and condemn the exclusion of research institutes, Colleges of Agriculture and Colleges of Forestry from TETfund that the public Universities and Polytechnics are enjoying.

“Given that the determination of most research projects in the universities are individual interests and not based on institutional mandate, it can only be described as a crazy policy for a country with such abundant natural resources and large population to concentrate almost all available research and extension fund to universities and none for research institutes. This is the bane of Nigeria’s technological development,” he said.