The Nigerian federal government has introduced the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) internet platform, which is a major step toward improving health research governance.
The goal of the e-portal is to expedite and modernize the ethical evaluation and approval process for health research ideas. It was presented on Friday in Lagos by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the minister of state for health and social welfare.
Alausa called the inauguration a “remarkable milestone,” indicating a change in the health research system of Nigeria toward accountability, efficiency, and transparency. He acknowledged that the platform was supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The NHREC electronic platform is more than just a technological tool—it is a promise of integrity and accountability in health research,” Alausa noted, noting that the platform assures worldwide standards in health research while protecting participants’ rights, dignity, and safety.
In addition to decreasing delays and redundancies, the e-portal would centralize and streamline the research proposal submission process. Alausa expressed optimism that the platform will increase Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global health research market by enhancing data-driven innovation and clinical practices.
Dr. Adeola Adeyeye, associate director of research at the U.S. CDC, praised the quick construction of the platform, which was accomplished in just six weeks with strong cooperation from the Nigerian government and foreign partners.
She emphasized how the platform will greatly shorten approval processes, promoting regional and global research cooperation.
The announcement reaffirms the government’s commitment to research-driven health benefits and comes after the National Strategic Meeting on Health Research Development and Innovation proved to be successful earlier this year. It is anticipated that the platform will improve Nigeria’s capacity to produce and apply research data, spurring innovation and improving healthcare delivery.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State commissioner of health, commended the platform for streamlining research governance and facilitating the process of obtaining ethical approvals for researchers across the country. He described the approach as “like the ease of doing business for medical research,” adding that it would speed up research while assisting in the protection of participants’ rights and intellectual property.
Daro Onimode, a major contributor to the development of the Public Health Information Surveillance Solutions and System (PHIS3), project director, clarified that the e-platform is intended to expedite, streamline, and increase the accessibility of the protocol and application review process for researchers nationwide.
Nigeria boasts a large national and international research community, and there is a growing need for a digital solution to expedite the clearance process. Researchers had to use a laborious paper-based procedure that required physically delivering documents to the Federal Ministry of Health prior to the launch of the e-portal. The ethics committee chairman would eventually receive these materials from desk to desk and designate reviewers from there. The project director claimed that this drawn-out and onerous procedure frequently deterred researchers, especially those situated in remote places.
Onimode outlined the ways in which the platform will alter the environment for researchers. He explained that the new procedure is intended to be easy to use and drastically shorten approval times. “With the e-platform, there are now mandatory fields researchers need to fill, and once submitted, the document is immediately sent to the appropriate reviewer, then to the chairman, and back to the committee for final approval,” he said.
For instance, Onimode described the difficulties faced by researchers in areas like Maiduguri, where getting approval frequently required transferring documentation over great distances to committee members in cities like Lagos. “With the e-platform, real-time application tracking and submission is now simple, fostering research and ultimately leading to better health outcomes,” he continued.
The launch of the e-portal was also welcomed by Professor Oliver Ezechi, a committee member of the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC). He said, “Up until now, our submission process was purely manual, and researchers would send protocols via email, which raised concerns over security and intellectual property.” The new platform guarantees the security of submissions in addition to speeding up the procedure.
