The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has met with the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako to advocate for strengthened structures and support for research integrity and ethics in Nigeria.
During the visit, the Minister stated his commitment to support initiatives led by the Exploring Excellence in Collaboration, Ethical Conduct and Leadership for Research Integrity through Empowerment (EXCEL RITE) project team and the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC).
He said that “without research integrity, there cannot be ethics,” and emphasizedthe need for integrity to ensure credible and impactful research outcomes. While acknowledging existing bureaucratic challenges, he encouraged NHREC to seek partnerships with private sector and non-governmental organizations to reduce dependence on federal funding.
Hon. Salako affirmed support for sustaining NHREC’s IT platform and emphasized that research must lead to tangible benefits for the people, not just publications. He also highlighted the government’s interest in phytomedicine research.
Earlier at the meeting, IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Principal Investigator of the EXCEL RITE Project, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah commended the Minister’s dedication to strengthening research ethics, and noted NHREC’s progress under his leadership.
Dr. Mensah requested additional government funding to enhance NHREC’s administrative capacity, sustain its new IT submission portal, currently donor-funded, and expand research integrity initiatives in alignment with the Presidential agenda of positioning Nigeria as a leader in research and innovation. He further proposed creative resource mobilization strategies, including partnerships with the Ministry of Education, TETFUND, and NELFUND.
Dr. Mensah who joined the meeting virtually, led a team of stakeholders including Prof. Oyewale Tomori of the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Vice Chancellor of UNIMED Ondo, Prof. Ebun Adejuyigbe and EXCEL RITE Project Coordinator, Dr. Nnakelu Eriobu.
Dr. Eriobu presented the EXCEL RITE conference communique to the Minister and noted that while the project’s highlight was the April 28–30, 2025 conference, the initiative goes beyond the event to foster sustained multi-stakeholder engagement to implement the consensus outcomes.
EXCEL RITE Project is funded by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity under the Department of Health and Human Services. He noted
