Nigeria: Meeting and Training Workshop to Advance Discussions on Strengthening Research Ethics Governance

ABUJA – JANUARY, 2026

A productive meeting was held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja -Nigeria during the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) Meeting and Training Workshop to advance discussions on strengthening research ethics governance in Nigeria and the role of the TRACE Project in supporting national priorities. The objectives of the meeting were to review the NHREC’s 2025 performance, identify operational and oversight gaps, and agree on priority actions to strengthen ethics governance and institutional effectiveness.

The meeting convened members of the NHREC and key stakeholders, and was honoured by the presence of Dr Iziaq Salako, Honourable Minister of State for Health, as Guest of Honour.

Honourable Minister of Health poses with members of NHREC and TRACE project representatives.

Discussions focused on strengthening ethics oversight through digital transformation, improved coordination with State Health Research Ethics Committee (HRECs), streamlined review processes, capacity building, and the development of a sustainable 2026 implementation roadmap.“We need to capitalize on the TRACE Project to ensure clinical trials are transparent, efficient, and predictable, enabling more research to be conducted in Nigeria and across Africa.” Dr Iziaq Salako, Honourable Minister of State for Health.

The meeting enabled open dialogue and alignment, laying a strong foundation for more trusted, efficient, and predictable clinical research oversight.