The Federal Government established the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in 1960 and domiciled it in the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. This followed the dissolution of the West African Institute of Social and Economic Research (WAISER), which the colonial government established in 1950 to serve as a Think Tank in the field of social and economic development for the then British West Africa territory.

In 1977, the Federal Government detached the Institute from the University of Ibadan and made it autonomous via NISER Act No. 70 of 1977 (now Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2006 CAP 115). In 1987, NISER moved out of the University of Ibadan to its headquarters at Ojoo, Ibadan and was placed under the Presidency. In 2006, the Federal Government merged the National Manpower Board (NMB) with NISER and placed the Institute under the National Planning Commission (NPC).

Section 4 of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) Act of 1977 [NISER Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2006 CAP 115] empowers the Institute to:

  1. Conduct research into the economic and social problems of the country with a view to the application of the results thereof;
  2. Provide consultancy services to Federal and State Governments, their agencies and other organisations, in the field of economic and social development;
  3. Organise seminars and conferences on problems of economic and social development in the country, whether on its own accounts or on behalf of the governments of Nigeria or their agencies; and
  4. Cooperate with Nigerian universities, research institutes and other institutions in the mobilization of the country’s research potential for the task of national development and dissemination of research findings for the use of policymakers at all levels.

Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)
P.M.B. 5,
U.I. Post Office,
Ojoo, Oyo Road,
Ibadan