Federal Government has called for research proposals on Nigeria’s Digital Economy.

It said successful proposals will key into a N12 billion research funding scheme designed to place ideas, evidence, and research at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, on his X handle at the weekend.

The ministry is inviting academic and research institutions to submit proposals to lead or collaborate across the newly established research clusters.

Tijani explained that the programme was focused on driving research-led policy decisions.

“Today, my heart is filled with deep joy as we announce the Expression of Interest for the National Digital Economy Research Clusters, a N12 billion research funding scheme designed to place ideas, evidence, and research at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” he said.

According to him, many digital policies are often shaped without sufficient research input.

“Too often, the ideas shaping digital policy come predominantly from markets and political cycles rather than from research, evidence, and long-term thinking,” he added.

Under the initiative, national research clusters will be established across key pillars of the digital economy. These are Connectivity, Access, and Meaningful Use; Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Government; Digital Skills, Education, and Human Capital; Digital Economy, Jobs, and Livelihoods; Trust, Safety, Consumer Protection, and Online Harms; andArtificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.