A review of public spending records has revealed that the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) disbursed N339 million in a single day for non-research projects, including bus purchases and solar lighting, sparking concerns over mandate violations.
Public spending records have uncovered a series of controversial disbursements by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), totaling N339 million in a single day. According to data from the Open Treasury portal, mirrored by the accountability tool Govspend, the research institute made eight separate high-value payments to seven different companies on September 17, 2025. Despite FIIRO’s core mandate to conduct market-driven research for Nigeria’s industrialization, none of the documented payments were related to scientific research or technological development.
The largest share of the funds was channeled toward “empowerment” and logistical projects outside the institute’s traditional scope. Anfield Engineering and Construction Limited received the heaviest payout, totaling N150.9 million across two payments for the supply of empowerment materials in selected Lagos locations. Other significant disbursements included N60.8 million paid to Al Mumin Investment Limited for “the purchase of 25-seater bus for students in Alimosho Federal Constituency” and N21.5 million to Jrb Solar Investment Limited for the enhancement of solar lighting along rural roads in Enugu State. Additionally, Famab Technology Nigeria Limited was paid N34.6 million for “the digitalisation/automation and internet of things.”
The revelation has raised serious questions regarding the institutional integrity of FIIRO, which was established based on a 1953 World Bank recommendation to address Nigeria’s lack of focused industrial research. While the expenditures were recorded under the guise of infrastructural and socio-economic development, critics argue that using a science and technology institute to fund constituency projects such as buses and street lighting violates its fundamental purpose. As of Monday, April 20, 2026, the institute, which operates under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, has yet to provide a public justification for why these funds were diverted from its primary research and development objectives.