The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ethical standards in Nigeria’s health research ecosystem, pledging sustained support for the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) to safeguard research participants and align local studies with global best practices.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, gave the assurance while speaking at the 2026 Face-to-Face Meeting and Training Workshop of NHREC held in Abuja.
Dr. Salako stressed that robust ethical oversight remains central to credible research, public trust and scientific integrity, particularly as Nigeria expands activities in clinical trials, drug development and vaccine research.
He recalled that health research ethics in Nigeria gained formal structure with the establishment of NHREC in 2005 and its legal backing under the National Health Act of 2014, which mandated the committee to oversee ethical approvals, issue guidelines for research involving human subjects and monitor studies to protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of participants.
Commending the current NHREC leadership under Professor Richard Adegbola, the Minister said the committee has significantly raised standards through timely review of research proposals and strengthened regulatory oversight. He described the 2026 workshop as a fitting event marking the second anniversary of the reconstituted NHREC, inaugurated in January 2024.
A major highlight of the Minister’s address was the digital transformation of the ethics review process. He praised NHREC for revamping its website and introducing an electronic ethics review portal, describing it as a game-changer that will enhance efficiency, transparency, data management, cost-effectiveness, stakeholder engagement and performance tracking within the research ecosystem.
Dr. Salako urged researchers, institutions, sub-national ethics committees and international partners to fully utilise the e-portal to strengthen research integrity and ensure the welfare of participants nationwide.
He also acknowledged the support of international partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC), World Health Organization’s African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Centre and GARNET partners, for building NHREC’s institutional capacity.
The Minister highlighted the ongoing Trial Regulation and Clinical Ethics Optimization (TRACE) project as a key initiative aimed at improving the safety, rigour and credibility of clinical trials in Nigeria.
Reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Dr. Salako said Nigeria would continue to promote and fund local research in drug development, vaccines and disease epidemiology, noting that such investments can only yield maximum benefits within a strong ethical framework.
He urged NHREC members to intensify efforts toward building a fully ethical health research system capable of contributing meaningfully to national development and global health goals.
Dr. Salako formally declared the 2026 NHREC Face-to-Face Meeting and Training Workshop open, expressing optimism that strengthened ethical governance would deepen public trust and enhance Nigeria’s standing in global health research.
