NIMR foundation, homegrown solution to solving Nigeria’s health challenges
By Kemi Akintokun
Capacity building for researchers specialising in health-related issues has been identified as a critical step in addressing Nigeria’s many health challenges.
These challenges include endemic infectious diseases such as malaria, Lassa fever, yellow fever, cholera, and meningitis, as well as rising rates of maternal and child mortality and non-communicable diseases like kidney and cancer-related ailments.
In spite various international interventions, these issues persist, renewing the call for Nigeria to develop its own homegrown solutions.
To bridge this gap, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) established the NIMR Foundation in 2021.
The foundation’s mission is to build research capacity among early-career investigators, foster innovation, and promote the development of local medicines, vaccines, and technologies.
Its pilot programme, the Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programmes (GMTP) has been a “game-changer” for researchers since it began in 2022, providing them with the skills needed to tackle the nation’s unique health problems.
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 GMTP organised by the NIMR Foundation has really helped me to not just improve my grant writing skills ability, but it has supported me in winning some grants of my own.
“Apart from winning these grants, I have also gained access to mentors who have impacted my career positively and access to peer mentors that I have collaborated with,” she said.
A Neonatologist, Dr Victor Ayeni, who participated at the 2024 edition of NIMR Foundation GMTP, said the quest to carry out top notch research that would have positive impact propelled him to apply for the programme.
Ayeni, who works at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital in Ogun state, said the knowledge he acquired at the GMTP helped him to secure a grant four months after participating in the programme.
He said the grant, funded by Grand Challenges Nigeria, was the 2025/2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Seed Grant Funding, awarded to carry out research aimed at reducing disabilities associated with birth asphyxia.
Birth asphyxia is a lack of blood flow or gas exchange to or from the fetus in the period immediately before, during, or after the birth process.
“I knew that I needed to do high-quality research to achieve a better outcome for what I have always looked forward to for children in the country. But to do that, it will require funding that is not personally available.
“I applied for the NIMR foundation programme; the training helped me to refine my thoughts and how best to compose the thoughts in a way to win funding for research.
“Part of what I also learnt was personal development goals and this prepared me ahead when the call for the grant was announced and I got the grant,” he said.
A participant at the just concluded 2025 edition of the GMTP, Dr Chioma Kunle-Ope, a Research Fellow at NIMR, said the programme was an eye opener for her.
Kunle-Ope said that testimonies from previous participants on how the programme impacted their research skills made her apply for the GMTP.
“This programme gave me great insight and the opportunity I needed to enhance my skills especially in the area of systematic reviews and manuscript writing.
“I am glad I was among the few selected out of the hundreds of applicants across the country and I look forward to research that will have positive and direct impact,” she said.
As the foundation continues to engage researchers on capacity building, the government must also ensure a sustained investment to strengthen the nation’s capacity for homegrown solutions to address the health challenges of Nigerians. (NAN)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
