Project: TMA2016IF- Onyejepu

Acronym	NNPU (Reference Number: TMA2017IF-2033)
Duration	01/02/2019 - 31/10/2020
Project Topic	Sub Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of tuberculosis (TB), multi drug (MDR)/extensively drug (XDR) TB, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other poverty related diseases. Intervention efforts for poverty related diseases are focused on research and development of new drug regimens, vaccines and diagnostics some presently undergoing clinical trials in various continents including Africa. It is however true that most African Researchers are rarely involved at the early stages of product development and design of clinical trials (phases I-IV) but rather at the implementation phase of effectiveness trials. For a mutually beneficial research partnership, African Researchers must develop capacity for clinical trial design, protocol development and quality implementation of all phases of clinical trials. Today, there is an internationally accepted standard for research whether the research is carried out in developed or developing country. The EDCTP-TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowship offers researchers from the Sub Saharan Africa an opportunity to increase their competencies and assume leading roles in clinical trial processes from design to protocol development, implementation and manuscript writing. I am certain that this fellowship will enable me to attain such competencies. The re-integration period will focus on development of human resources through step downtraining and mentorship as well as advocacy for institutional management buy-in. I will involve various interest groups such as co-researchers from my home institution and other tertiary institutions as well as networks of Non Governmental and Civil Society Organizations. An expected outcome is the formation of a Clinical Trial Unit that will offer support for future trials and research within and outside the Institution following international standards. In the long run this will create a career path not only for me but also for other young researchers in Sub Saharan Africa and offer a center of excellence that will attract grants and external collaboration thus retaining local experts in the sub region.
Network	EDCTP2
Call	EDCTP-TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowships 2017

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Nigerian Institute of Medical Research	Coordinator	Niger