The Federal Government has announced plans to inaugurate an electronic portal designed to streamline the submission and approval of health research proposals in Nigeria, marking a significant step in enhancing ethical standards and efficiency in health research processes.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, made this known during the opening of a two-day workshop on “Electronic Portal Protocol Management System and National Ethics Standardisation Sensitisation,” held on Thursday in Abuja. The workshop was organised for members of the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC).
Represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Kamil Shotirere, the Minister stated that the e-portal is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, following a pilot phase and rigorous evaluation.
“We aim to commence trial use of the portal after this training to assess its effectiveness. By the third quarter of this year, we expect researchers to begin submitting proposals through the system,” he said.
Salako described the initiative as a crucial milestone towards establishing a robust and standardised framework for the ethical review of health research in Nigeria. He added that the e-portal would align the country’s review processes with international best practices, ensuring that research involving human participants is conducted ethically and transparently.
Highlighting the portal’s functionality, the Minister said it would enable researchers to submit proposals, attach required documents, pay any applicable fees, and receive reviewer feedback—all online. This, he noted, would eliminate unnecessary delays and promote accountability.
Dr. Lolade Adeyemi, Special Adviser to the Minister on Research and Innovation, acknowledged the government’s commitment to funding health research, while also admitting that current resources remain insufficient. She revealed that development partners, including the Gates Foundation and the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Centre, are supporting the initiative.
“As international partners see these reforms, they are more likely to support our efforts. However, to ensure sustainability, we are exploring the introduction of nominal service fees,” she said.
Chairman of NHREC, Prof. Richard Adegbola, welcomed the development, noting that the current manual system often leads to delays, inefficiencies, and loss of research grants due to approval bottlenecks.
“With the e-portal, investigators will be able to track submissions in real-time. This will not only improve efficiency but also harmonise ethical review practices across institutions nationwide,” he said.
Delivering a goodwill message, Dr. Collins Mitambo of the Gates Foundation emphasised the importance of robust ethical systems in fostering trust and innovation in clinical research.
“This two-year project is part of a shared commitment to building structures that protect participants, maintain data integrity, and enhance public trust,” he said, adding that the initiative will also strengthen the capacity of Nigeria’s regulatory bodies, ethics committees, and research institutions.