Translating research to innovation, strategies and evidence to guide policies on Agriculture, Energy, Health, Infrastructure and National Security is critical for national development. The economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are enjoying   the dividends of translating research to innovations that   generate new products and novel strategies. The platform is also used to generate evidence for pragmatic policies that is enabling BRICS national development. Today, Nigeria has over one hundred universities.  The University of Ibadan alone has 1,500 academic staffs who publish over 700 research papers every year. The research platforms at  the University of  Ibadan  and  other universities  in Nigeria represent  a treasure  that can bring innovations  to underwrite  the socioeconomic  development of  Nigeria. The University of Ibadan Research Foundation (UI-Research Foundation) has developed a national “Think Tank” initiative designed to facilitate translations of research to innovations, novel strategies and to provide useful evidence for policies to strengthen the contributions of Agriculture, Energy, Health, Infrastructure and National Security to economic development of Nigeria.

The national Think Tank initiative aims to serve as a platform capable of facilitating the development of ‘knowledge economy’ for Nigeria.  It will become a  significant regional  hub  to foster global partnerships for promoting  translations of research  outcomes of high scholastic standard to  evidence  for pragmatic  policies  in  Agriculture, Energy, Health, Infrastructure, and   Security . The platform is being launched in partnerships with:

· The Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN),

· International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),

· Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies

Institute for  Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS).

These partnerships will provide a spring board for public -private sectors for promotion of sustainable knowledge economy and efforts to make research count for national development.     The Think Tank initiative is seen as one of the underpinning strategies for contributions of the UI-Research Foundation to the mission of the University of Ibadan on her efforts to meet societal needs..

The UI-Research Foundation is organizing a    programme  of  events   consisting of   launching of  the    Think Tank and   A Symposium  titled Research Continuum for National Development to discuss  issues that are relevant to  socioeconomic development  of Nigeria.

The symposium  will involve  participation  of  a  wide  audience  consisting  of  the  academic  community, government  officials, civil society  and  the  private sector.  The Symposium is aimed to achieve the following targets.  

1. Stimulate the discussion on   important national needs and critical sectors of Nigeria economy,

2. Catalyse efforts/thinking of Government and private sectors in the national agenda towards the engagement of available research results and the Think Tank initiatives in propelling national

                   development,

3. Introduce the National Think-Tank on Research for national development and Partnership Institutions to the community,

4. Invite the buy-in of the critical mass of people in the University community and civil society, and

5. Contribute to the development of a frame work for the National Think Tank  on Research for development.