Professor Modou Sallah Unveils Vision for Research Sovereignty Through National Innovation Fund

Written by: Michaella Faith Wright

The Chief Executive Officer of The Gambia’s National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), Professor Modou Sallah, has unveiled an ambitious vision to transform the country’s research and innovation landscape through a proposed US$100 million endowment fund aimed at strengthening local knowledge production and addressing national development challenges.

Speaking on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Professor Sallah said the newly launched NRIF is designed to provide sustainable financing for research, innovation, and evidence-based policymaking while reducing reliance on externally driven research agendas.

“Our goal is to raise US$100 million within the next 18 months and US$1 billion within four years. The capital itself will remain untouched, while the returns generated will finance research and innovation,” he explained.

Professor Sallah said the fund will support universities, students, innovators, government institutions, and researchers through ten dedicated funding windows. He revealed that approximately D15 million has already been allocated for grant applications, with submissions now open through the fund’s online platform.

Emphasising the need for homegrown solutions, he pointed to The Gambia’s continued importation of basic medical products such as normal saline, arguing that local researchers and innovators have the expertise to manufacture such essential products domestically.

“We need financial sustainability so that we can design our own research agendas and prioritise solutions that respond directly to our national needs,” he said.

Professor Sallah also stressed that transparency and accountability would remain at the core of the fund’s operations, noting that all applications will undergo independent assessment by a technical advisory committee and be managed through a digital grants management system.

He further called on Gambians in the diaspora to contribute their expertise and collaborate with local researchers, describing their involvement as essential to building a knowledge-driven future for the country.