FIIRO Stakeholders Allege Decline Of Research Institute Under Director-General Tutuwa, Petition Tinubu To Order Probe | Sahara Reporters
The petitioners urged Tinubu to order an investigation into the institute’s infrastructure, research output, financial management, procurement processes and institutional governance between May 2022 and October 2026.
Concerned stakeholders at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu over what they described as the deteriorating condition of the institution, calling for an independent investigation into its operations and the administration of its Director-General, Dr. Jummai Adamu Tutuwa.
The petitioners urged Tinubu to order an investigation into the institute’s infrastructure, research output, financial management, procurement processes and institutional governance between May 2022 and October 2026.
They also called on the President to ensure that Tutuwa, whose appointment took effect on May 10, 2022, is not granted an additional term, arguing that her appointment was publicly announced as a single five-year, non-renewable tenure.
The petition, dated October 24, 2026, was addressed to Tinubu and signed by Concerned Stakeholders in the Future of FIIRO, who requested anonymity over fears of alleged victimisation by the Director-General.
The petitioners said their concerns were partly prompted by a video that went viral last week showing Tutuwa frying akara at the entrance of the institute’s office complex using what she described as a locally fabricated gas stove.
According to the petition, the Director-General made the video to invite First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to the institute’s 70th anniversary and to distribute the stoves to 200 people.
The stakeholders argued that the video raised questions about the institute’s priorities amid allegations of deteriorating infrastructure, declining research activities and weakened institutional capacity.
Their petition, titled “How Are the Mighty Fallen! – An Urgent Petition for Presidential Intervention to Rescue the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), from Institutional Decline, Restore Research Productivity and Ensure Accountable Leadership,” called for immediate presidential intervention.
They said FIIRO, established in 1956, was created to promote industrialisation through scientific research, indigenous technology development and the commercialisation of research findings.
The institute has historically contributed to cassava processing, food preservation, cereal and legume processing, packaging, equipment fabrication, pulp and paper production, and the utilisation of indigenous raw materials.
However, the petitioners alleged that the institution was now struggling with inadequate electricity and water supply, reduced research activities, deteriorating digital infrastructure and the underutilisation of scientific personnel.
“Sadly, Your Excellency, an institution once recognised for pioneering indigenous technologies, conducting industrial research, supporting entrepreneurs and promoting local manufacturing is now confronted by allegations of severe infrastructural deterioration, diminishing research activities, weakened institutional visibility and a disturbing loss of its historic vitality,” the petition stated.
The stakeholders said the concerns warranted an independent investigation rather than assumptions about the causes of the alleged decline.
“Our purpose is not to undermine the Federal Government or engage in personal attacks against any individual. Rather, it is to draw Your Excellency’s attention to the troubling state of a nationally important research institution and appeal for decisive intervention before further deterioration destroys capabilities that successive generations of Nigerian scientists, engineers and administrators worked diligently to build,” they added.
Petitioners Raise Concerns Over Infrastructure, Research Output
The petitioners alleged that unreliable electricity supply was making it difficult for the institute to operate laboratory equipment, analytical instruments, refrigeration systems and pilot production facilities.
They also raised concerns about the reported lack of dependable water supply, which they said could affect laboratory operations, sanitation, food processing and scientific research.
According to the stakeholders, these conditions, if confirmed, could undermine the institute’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
“Without dependable electricity, a modern research institution cannot operate efficiently,” the petition stated.
“It is therefore unacceptable that a federal research institution established to advance technological development should reportedly struggle to maintain the basic power infrastructure required to discharge its mandate.”
The petitioners also alleged that meaningful research and development activities had declined under the current administration.
They called for an independent assessment of research projects initiated, funded, completed, validated, patented, licensed or commercialised between May 2022 and October 2026.
They further urged the government to establish how many laboratories and pilot plants remained operational and what proportion of the institute’s scientific personnel were actively involved in funded research.
“A public research institute cannot justify its existence merely through salaries, administrative meetings, ceremonial functions, publicity exercises and routine official engagements,” the petition stated.
“Its legitimacy rests primarily on the scientific, technological and economic value it creates for the nation.”
The stakeholders also raised concerns about the reported inaccessibility of FIIRO’s official website and the alleged failure of its official email services.
They said these problems could affect the institute’s ability to communicate with universities, investors, government agencies, development partners and potential beneficiaries of its research.
The petitioners further claimed that a significant number of research scientists had left the institute because of frustration.
“On a sad note, a significant number of the research scientists have exited the system due to frustration,” they stated.
They called for an investigation into staff welfare, research funding, infrastructure maintenance and management decisions to determine whether the institute’s resources were being effectively utilised.
The stakeholders cited a publication titled On Our Marks, prepared during the administration of former Director-General Dr. Gloria Elemo, as evidence of FIIRO’s historical achievements.
According to the petition, the publication documented the institute’s scientific recognition, development of indigenous technologies, research infrastructure, industrial partnerships and technology transfer initiatives.
The petitioners said FIIRO showcased more than 250 research and development technologies during its Investment and Technology Week in October 2014.
They also cited a portfolio of 85 pre-feasibility reports covering technologies with potential commercial applications in cassava processing, cereals, legumes, beverages, fruits, vegetables and other industrial sectors.
The petitioners acknowledged that these achievements reflected the contributions of researchers, scientists, engineers, administrators and institutional partners rather than the efforts of the former Director-General alone.
Nevertheless, they said the records provided a benchmark for evaluating the institute’s subsequent performance.
“How did an institution that once showcased hundreds of indigenous technologies, attracted major industrial partnerships and occupied a visible place in Nigeria’s scientific development landscape reportedly deteriorate to the point where the basic facilities necessary for research can no longer be taken for granted?” they asked.
The stakeholders also referenced concerns previously raised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in 2024 over FIIRO’s funding, management, infrastructure and research output.
They said the issues required independent examination to establish the extent of the institute’s reported difficulties.
The petitioners requested that Tinubu constitute an independent fact-finding and performance assessment panel comprising experts in scientific research administration, engineering, public finance, institutional governance and research commercialisation.
They also called for a physical inspection of the institute’s headquarters and research facilities to assess the condition of laboratories, electricity and water infrastructure, research equipment, pilot plants, office facilities and digital systems.
The proposed investigation, they said, should be accompanied by an independent audit of research and development performance, including the number of completed technologies, patents, publications, industrial collaborations, licensing arrangements and commercialisation outcomes.
They further demanded an independent financial and procurement review covering budgetary allocations, internally generated revenue, research expenditure, capital projects, equipment procurement and maintenance spending.
The stakeholders said the review should establish whether funds had been properly applied and whether financial constraints or management failures contributed to the reported deterioration.
“No presumption of wrongdoing should arise from the request for an audit; its purpose should be to establish the facts and ensure accountability,” the petition stated.
They also urged the Federal Government to restore reliable electricity, potable water, functional laboratories, operational research equipment, official email services and the institute’s website.
Other demands included a time-bound institutional recovery programme, transparent annual performance reports, protection for staff who provide evidence during the investigation, and a review of the institute’s governance structure.
The petitioners specifically called for the current Director-General’s performance and tenure conditions to be examined.
They said the government should clarify the relationship between the terms of Tutuwa’s appointment letter and the statutory provisions governing the office.
“The Federal Government should clarify the relationship between the terms contained in the Director-General’s appointment letter and the statutory provisions governing the office,” they stated.
“Any proposed reappointment, extension or variation of tenure should be subjected to strict legal scrutiny, transparent institutional assessment and applicable public service requirements.”
The stakeholders also urged the Presidency to investigate any credible allegations of bribery, inducement or political patronage in the appointment or tenure-review process.
They stressed that their demand for an audit should not be interpreted as proof of wrongdoing but as a necessary step towards establishing accountability.
The stakeholders warned that Nigeria could not achieve sustainable industrial development without functional research institutions capable of developing local technologies and reducing dependence on imported industrial processes.
They said FIIRO should be supporting manufacturers, entrepreneurs and small businesses through practical innovations, research partnerships and technology transfer.
“FIIRO is far too important to Nigeria’s scientific and industrial future to be allowed to decline into an administrative establishment with little demonstrable research output,” the petition stated.
The petitioners urged Tinubu to intervene before the alleged deterioration became irreversible, insisting that the institute’s future should be determined by research productivity, scientific competence and accountable leadership.
They also called for a transparent leadership transition when the current Director-General’s tenure ends, arguing that any decision on a reappointment or extension must comply with the applicable law and the terms of her appointment.
“FIIRO must be rescued. Its laboratories must function again. Its researchers must return to productive scientific work. Its technologies must once again contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s industrial development,” the petitioners stated.
They appealed to the President to ensure that the institute’s scientific and technological capabilities were restored and that its leadership was assessed against measurable institutional performance.
The petition was copied to the Chief of Staff to the President, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, the chairmen of the relevant Senate and House of Representatives committees, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
When SaharaReporters reached out to FIIRO management, it questioned the stakeholders’ yardstick for measuring research activities while dismissing the petition as lacking in substance.
The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alabi Matthew, said: “What is their yardstick for measuring research facilities? What yardstick do they use to measure it? Are they saying that the research officers, that numbered over 400 in the institute, do not have research projects every year?”
Matthew explained that the institute maintains a rigorous schedule of research presentations and seminars.
“Every year there is a programme whereby all researchers come and present what they are doing, what they are going to do in the next year. Each department makes their presentation,” he said.
“We have different research groups. This group is working on this, this other group is working on that. Every year they do that and every Thursday of every week, a research officer will come and make a presentation on the update of the research they have done. So, is that not taking place?”
He continued: “If on Thursday of every week, a researcher comes and tells us the update on what they are doing, and if they are not doing anything, what report do they present at the seminar?
“The seminar takes place every Thursday to give updates on their research activities. So, if they are saying there’s no research activity in the institute, it is as well calling for the sacking of over 500 research officers that are in FIIRO.”
Matthew emphasised that each research officer has an assigned research topic.
“They do seminars every Thursday to present what they are doing. And every year, there’s a budget for research for each of the technical departments. And every research officer has a research topic which they are working on. That’s why I said, I don’t know their yardstick,” he added.