🗺️ Stakeholder Map StemTrust

Concept: Mapping the ecosystem of Research Funding in Abuja.

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The Map Layers

1. Caretakers (The Support System)

People who hold the system together despite the challenges.

• Department Heads (HODs): Often use personal networks to secure small opportunities for students.
• Peer Review Groups: Informal WhatsApp groups where researchers share calls for proposals.
• Lab Technicians: Managing scarce resources to keep experiments running.

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2. Stakeholders (The Institutions)

The powerful players who control resources.

• TETFund (Tertiary Education Trust Fund): The primary government funding body (HQ in Abuja).
• National Universities Commission (NUC): Regulatory body setting standards.
• University Administrations: The gatekeepers of institutional grants.
• Foreign Embassies/Donors: USAID, DFID, etc., offering competitive but limited grants.

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3. Emerging Leaders (The Disrupters)

New actors trying to change the narrative.

• StemTrust Team: Introducing blockchain transparency.
• Tech Hubs (e.g., Ventures Park): Beginning to look at “Deep Tech” beyond just software.
• Student Research Associations: Demanding more transparency in how fees/funds are used.
• Diaspora Nigerian Scientists: Looking for trustworthy ways to give back.
• Cardano Community (Abuja Chapter): Promoting decentralized governance tools.

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4. Affected Groups (The Victims)

• Early-Career Researchers: Most vulnerable to “The Waiting Game.”
• Post-Graduate Students: Often delayed for years due to funding-related pauses.
• The Nigerian Public: Denied local solutions to local problems (e.g., local agricultural, health innovations).

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Flow of Influence

The Current System:

• Government/TETFund → Funds → University Admin → Opaque Allocation → Researcher
• Foreign Donors → Strict Conditions → Researcher
• Diaspora/Private Sector → Trust Gap → (blocked) → Researcher

The Outcomes:

• Researcher → Exit/Japa → Brain Drain
• Researcher → Success (Rare) → Local Innovation

The Opportunity:

• StemTrust Platform → Transparency → Diaspora
• StemTrust Platform → Direct Funding → Researcher

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