PROSPER OKOYE
Professor Obiageli Nnodu, Director of Research and Grants at the West African College of Physicians, has called for urgent investment in training the next generation of clinical researchers across West Africa to address growing health challenges.
Speaking on Monday at a two-day Research Capacity Building and Clinical Research Training programme in Abuja, Nnodu said the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and a shortage of trained investigators make local research capacity critical.
She cited findings from a genomics study to explain why relying only on research done outside Africa often fails to reflect the health realities of people on the continent. According to her, Africa needs evidence-based solutions developed within the region.
Nnodu urged institutions to build strong research frameworks that can help investigators access grants and other forms of support. “We cannot solve clinical problems just by doing clinical work,” she said.
For early-career researchers, she recommended openness to learning, joining research networks, applying for fellowships, and taking on practical assignments. She also advised maintaining humility and focusing on studies that address clear health problems.
Nnodu, who also serves as Principal Investigator and Director of the Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training, said the centre has applied this approach. Many researchers have benefited from its capacity-building programmes, she added.
Declaring the workshop open, Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, identified weak research infrastructure and limited practical training as key barriers. He said these gaps make it difficult to translate clinical expertise into research that meets international standards.
Fawehinmi noted that Africa has many capable clinicians but lacks the facilities and specialized training needed to attract international funding and publish in top journals.
“This is precisely the gap I believe this programme is built to close,” he said. He explained that participants will be trained from idea development and grant writing to scientific dissemination and clinical trial conduct.
The curriculum also includes clinical trial site activation, monitoring, regulatory compliance, and close-out procedures. Organizers said the goal is to provide practical, competency-based training for Africa’s cancer research community.
Fawehinmi linked the initiative to Yakubu Gowon University’s goal of becoming a world-class institution. He said achieving that requires researchers who can compete for global funding and carry out clinical trials to international standards.
The programme is supported by several institutions including Mayo Clinic, the iCCaRE Consortium, the West African College of Physicians, the Nigerian Cancer Society, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Sickle Cell Research and Training for Africa.
Also speaking, Professor Folakemi T. Odedina of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center called for more collaboration. She described “Consortium Science” as researchers and institutions working toward shared goals instead of in isolation, saying it can improve communication and accelerate health solutions for the continent.
