…as SCIDaR unveils compendium for health reforms
By Sarah NEGEDU
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has warned that Nigeria’s health research must move beyond academic exercises, to more practical tools for solving real-life challenges facing the country.
Salako, who gave the charge while speaking at the official unveiling of a Knowledge Products Compendium by the Solina Centre for International Development and Research, SCIDaR, on Friday, decried the volume of research products in the country without the expected impact.
According to him, “Research is key, but not every research is useful. It appears Nigeria is over-researched, with many studies done just for the purpose of publication. We must emphasise research that can impact society.”
The Minister therefore commending the SCIDaR’s for the initiative, describing the compendium as a “valuable contribution” that departs from research “for publication’s sake” by highlighting tested interventions that improve lives.
He maintained that the project was “the kind of evidence-based and practice-driven research we need.”
He further explained that, “From the Compendium, I have seen examples of research that emerged directly from field experiences, studies that were not just theoretical but implemented and tested, with real results. For instance, lessons drawn from how vaccines and immunisation services are delivered.”
The minister also assured that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was determined to overhaul the health sector through evidence-driven reforms.
Already, he disclosed that the administration had reorganised its national research committee for greater visibility and coordination, linking the effort to the Health Sector Renewal Initiative, which seeks to reverse Nigeria’s poor global health rankings on malaria, HIV and other diseases.
According to him, recent presidential directives granting tax relief to pharmaceutical companies were also part of measures to attract more investors and boost local drug production.
On his part, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, said the compendium was timely as Nigeria embarks on new primary health reforms.
“We are embarking on many initiatives for the very first time, and these represent a new way of working different from how we have done things in the past. That is precisely why this compendium is so relevant,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of SCIDaR, Uchenna Igbokwe, said the project tackles a long-standing problem of inaccessibility of research findings.
“Often, research findings are locked away in academic journals that most policymakers and health managers don’t read. What this compendium does is bring the findings together in a single, concise document that explains policy implications clearly, without overwhelming technical language,” he said.
He stressed that while the launch was important, the real work would be to ensure the knowledge reaches decision-makers across government.
On health financing, Igbokwe stressed that the days of relying solely on external funding are over, “especially as donor countries are scaling back their support. That is the thinking behind the sector-wide approach by bringing federal, state, and local governments together around one conversation.”
Stakeholders at the event agreed that the test will be in implementation and ensuring that the compendium moves beyond its unveiling to shape decisions in hospitals, clinics, and policy tables nationwide.
