Following approval of the University Research Policy and Plan by the Senate and Governing Council of the University in July 2006, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ikenna Onyido, FAS appointed a Director for the Directorate of Research and Development (DRD) with effectr from March 1, 2007. Thus, the Directorate was established.

The Directorate is charged with the responsibility of administration and management of research in the University, in line with the University's Research Policy thrust, namely, enthronement of a functional, sustainable, excellence-driven and productive research culture. In the discharge of its functions, the DRD is subordinate to the University Research Board (URB), the research policy-making body, with the Vice-Chancellor as Chairman.

With the exception of the Director, the Directorate has no permanent academic staff. The Directorate works with Leaders of Research Programmes, called Research Programme Leaders (RPLs) in the execution of its mandate.