Abuja, The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with global and local stakeholders, has ramped up efforts to strengthen translational research across Africa, stressing the urgent need for the continent to transition from being a source of extracted data to a driver of scientific innovation, health solutions, and economic growth.
The call was made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate CON, at the SPARK Translational Research Boot Camp and Conference 2026 held on Monday in Abuja. The event was jointly convened by the Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research & Development (NIPRD), SPARK Global at Stanford University, and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), a programme office of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
In his keynote address, Professor Pate commended the organisers for months of sustained coordination to bring the programme to Africa despite resource constraints, describing the gathering as a timely intervention amid overlapping global crises.
“We are living through an era of pandemics, economic shocks, technological disruption and demographic transitions,” he said. “At such a moment, scientific inquiry and evidence-based policymaking are not optional, they are essential.”
Professor Pate traced major global gains in life expectancy, disease control, and medical innovation to the scientific method, but cautioned that such progress remains fragile. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, economies, and governance systems, with lasting implications for development worldwide.
Within Africa, the Coordinating Minister identified rapid population growth, an epidemiological transition from infectious to non-communicable diseases, and fast-paced technological change as urgent challenges requiring research-driven solutions. He expressed concern that Africa still accounts for only a tiny fraction of global research funding and output, with most studies externally funded and designed outside the continent.
“These risks position Africa as a perpetual extraction hub for data and knowledge,” he said, stressing the need for deliberate investments in local research ecosystems, including clinical trials, regulatory capacity, and science governance.
Professor Pate highlighted that Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are firmly anchored on scientific evidence, citing research governance, regulatory strengthening, healthcare delivery expansion, unlocking the healthcare value chain, and health security as pillars requiring sustained scientific inquiry.
Professor Kevin Grimes, Co-Director of SPARK at Stanford University and Vice President of SPARK Global, noted that the programme is designed to maximise Africa’s health and economic wellbeing by helping researchers translate high-quality science into products and services that benefit patients and society.
“African scientists are as capable as any in the world,” Grimes said. “What they often lack is structured support and access to industry expertise. That is the gap SPARK is designed to fill.” He explained that the SPARK model, which pairs academic researchers with industry mentors, has successfully built innovative ecosystems in other regions and holds strong potential for Africa.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Obi Adigwe, Director-General of NIPRD, said the conference was designed to build a strong bridge between science, policy, and impact-driven innovation.
“No matter how brilliant you are, if policy does not understand the priority of what you are doing, you will not make an impact,” Adigwe said, stressing the importance of political will in advancing scientific progress. He disclosed that the conference, which drew 60–70 participants from across Africa, was the result of over 18 months of planning with Stanford University partners.
Dr. Abdul Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC, underscored the central role of research and development in Nigeria’s healthcare reform agenda. “When we talk about the healthcare value chain, the foundation is research and development,” he said, highlighting that Africa accounts for only about 2% of global R&D spending. “Many groundbreaking studies never move beyond academic journals. Science and medicine ultimately exist to save lives. That is the essence of what we do.”
The PVAC Coordinator noted that the initiative has adopted an ecosystem approach, strengthening clinical trials, human capital development, supply chains, and market access, with the ambition to make Nigeria the hub for local manufacturing of essential medicines for Africa.
Translational research, he said, is central to the initiative’s work, emphasising that research must address Africa’s disease burden and unmet needs. “If our research does not address our realities, then we have missed the point,” he added.
Stakeholders at the conference, including policymakers, researchers, industry players, and development partners, agreed that strengthening translational research and science communication is critical to counter anti-science narratives and ensure research findings translate into measurable health and economic gains.
The boot camp was formally declared open with renewed commitment from the Federal Government and partners to support research, innovation, and clinical trials as part of a broader strategy to position Nigeria and Africa as active contributors to global scientific advancement.
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