Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has called for synergy between researchers and policymakers in Nigeria for suitable implementation of research at the government level.
Akeredolu said this while speaking on the topic “Taking Ownership: Sustainability of PEPFAR Programmes” at the 7th Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA), Conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NISA is a collaborative network of program Implementing Partners in Nigeria, committed to identifying, understanding, measuring, and sharing its work done in Nigeria.
According to her, the big question is: Do we have a synergy between researchers and the policymakers whose role is it to implement the results of research at the government level?
She said there was a need to create awareness and understanding around the policymakers who were in positions to affect the implementation of programmes.
She said that when policymakers had the right understanding of the way things were done, there would be that natural inclination in them to ask the right questions and implementation would become a natural thing for them to do.
She said that by so doing, the knowledge gap would be bridged.
She stressed that researchers should do more than merely converging to convey research findings in conference situations.
“When a programme is pronounced by researchers, it is expected that policymakers take certain steps regarding implementation, but the knowledge gap sets it at some point and hinders effective results.
“With the advantage of my various backgrounds, I have the insight that those you expect to play the role of sustainability do not usually understand what there is to be done.
“Even when such a programme cascades to the state level, it again falls into the same hands of policymakers. Something has to be done in this regard.”
Akeredolu explained that apart from her being the governor’s wife, her background in civil society as a founder of multiple Non Governmental Organisations, private sector investor and retired fishery officer from the Federal civil service, put her in good stead and experience in matters related to programme implementation.
“I belong to three worlds that are of relevance to this conference. And that is the more reason this gathering is of great interest to me.
“Firstly, I am a retired Federal Fishery Officer after 28 years of service, so I know what happens at the civil service level.
“I also have a background in civil society as I run about four Non-Governmental Organisations, and I am also into the private sector, doing large-scale fish production,” she said.
“Among my NGOs is the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) which thrives on medical research, which is why I am very much interested in this conference.
“In the NGO world, for instance, funding is usually a contentious issue, particularly at the level of programme implementation,” he explained.
She advised researchers to place priority on specific programmes while noting that doing this would go a long way in helping to achieve better results.
“Let me also add that we need to prioritise what our needs are. We need to answer what policy priorities we make even at the state level.
“My experience in Ondo State, particularly shows that we have so much awareness creation to do on breast and cervical cancer. There are also the issues of molestation and gender-based violence,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, lamented the dearth of home-grown data as Nigeria’s perpetual bane in its bid to break through in the areas of scientific research and programme implementation.
Mamora, however, said that the Federal Government already had plans underway toward ensuring that the country resolved its data challenge.
The United State of America Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Country Director, Dr Mary Boyd, observed that donor’s focus is not only on the individual patient but its on building.
Boyd said that it should be a resilient system that could handle any new epidemic like COVID-19, so the progress made would not be compromised.
In his remark, NISA board chairman, Prof. Echezona Ezeanolue, said that NISA was proud to unite over 50 leading organizations.
“The conference allows members to exchange ideas and develop collaborations in public health.
“NISA members are strongly committed to improving public health globally. Their work is in the different fields, but the overarching objective is to apply implementation of science principles to the challenging areas in healthcare,” he said.
Ezeanolue said it started as a collaboration among United States PEPFAR –supported implementing partners, research universities and policymakers to enhance the quality of health care through implementation of science and research.
“Its goal is to use the information generated from this network to serve in decision making and policy formulation for policymakers, researchers and consumers.
It’s also utilising the country-specific information generated by Nigerian Implementation Science (IS) Researchers and their collaborators to enhance the quality of care being provided,” he said.
Dr Jay Samuel, Director Laboratory Service, APIN, said health organisations and government agencies needed to share information on research and bridge the gap between research and practice.
Samuel said the conference was aimed at solving problems, including those concerning healthcare in the country.
He said: “We are looking for a solution through implementation research. We can implement the things we already know can work.
(NAN)