By Nancy Okojie,
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) is spearheading a significant effort to address the country’s persistent health challenges through homegrown solutions, with its Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme (GMTP) at the forefront.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, the GMTP is a “game-changer” for early-career researchers, providing them with the necessary skills and resources to tackle Nigeria’s unique health problems. These challenges include a high burden of infectious diseases like malaria, Lassa fever, yellow fever, and cholera, as well as rising rates of maternal and child mortality and non-communicable diseases.
The GMTP is a pilot program of the NIMR Foundation, which was established in 2021 to build research capacity, foster innovation, and promote the development of local medicines, vaccines, and technologies. The program focuses on improving researchers’ grant writing, systematic reviews, and analysis skills, which has already helped participants secure major grants.
For Dr Ijeoma Ifeorah, a Virologist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), she said her career experienced a 360 degrees turn-around after participating in the 2023 edition of the GMTP programme.
According to her, the programme has shaped her skills in grant writing, systematic reviews and analysis, expanded her research network and also helped her to win four major grants.
She said the grants included the American Association for Cancer Research and Beginner Investigation Grant for Catalytic Research, the African Research Excellence Fund Development and Fellowship Team, Others were the institutional seed award from the Northwestern University, U.S. and the World Academy of Science (TWAS) in collaboration with the government of Germany awarded Ifeorah a cooperative skills that availed her the opportunity of attending a three months training in Germany.
The program aims to develop the next generation of researchers who can conduct high-quality, impactful research that will influence healthcare policies and practices in the country. The initiative is a direct response to the need for Nigeria to develop its own solutions, as external interventions have not fully solved the nation’s health issues.
While the NIMR Foundation is taking a proactive approach by seeking private and philanthropic funding, there is a call for the government to ensure sustained investment in health research. This is seen as a crucial step to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for homegrown solutions and to address the “brain drain” of healthcare professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.
