Follow Us on Google
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Some universities in Nigeria have established a relationship and collaboration with the African Journal Editors and African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), through its Catalyze Impact Initiative, to improve on its capacity to access huge financial grants from reputable international donor organizations for various research.
The collaboration was cemented at a three-day workshop in Abuja, that successfully convened over 70 university leaders, including Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors (under the umbrella of Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, CVCNU), Directors of Research, Finance, and Grant Managers from public, federal, and private universities across Nigeria.
The workshop which focused on Good Financial Grant Practices (GFGP), aimed to enhance the research capacities and preparedness of Nigerian universities, ultimately informing funding decisions, fostering strategic partnerships, and promoting contextually relevant solutions and governmental action.
In addition to the GFGP training, the workshop addressed the need for increased visibility of African journals by improving global indexing and discoverability. Top journal editors identified gaps and explored solutions to enhance the prominence of African research.
APHRC, a premier research-to-policy institution was unhappy that thousands of universities in Nigeria and Africa are missing in the huge global financial opportunities available in the research and development due to minor issues that could be attributed to “ignorance”.
It said that Catalyze Impact Initiative being championed by APHRC responds to the critical need for increased African leadership in the continent’s Research and Development (R&D).
Dr. Alphonsus Neba, Program Director of the Catalyze Impact Initiative at APHRC, in an address to the participants emphasized the significance of the event to the enlightenment and capacity building for university officials on way they could improve their chances of securing global funding for their research.
“While African governments’ commitments to funding research have historically fallen short, global funding opportunities for research are expanding, offering unprecedented possibilities for African institutions. Seizing these opportunities require robust research ecosystems, supported by sound financial management and governance,” he said.
He explained that the GFGP assessment tool is used to evaluate institutions across financial management, human resources, governance and procurement areas, and also aimed to enhance credibility with donors and provide direct funding opportunities to address the continent’s critical research funding gap.
Dr. Michael Tsebee, Senior Research Officer at CVCNU, in his remarks, highlighted the workshop’s broader goals, stating “this workshop is not just about gaining certification, but fostering a culture of excellence in grants management and financial practices within our academic institutions.”
Dr. Sindi Kirimi, Programme Manager, Catalyze Impact Initiative, APHRC, said, “Innovation cannot thrive without accessible research. That’s why we’re partnering with African journal editors to improve publication quality and enhance global visibility.
“Through APHRC’s Catalyze Impact Initiative, the newly developed African Journals Visibility Platform will help host and elevate these journals, making them more discoverable and better indexed.”
APHRC’s Director of International Programs, Dr. Luchuo Engelbert, reiterated the need to produce quality outputs: “We need to improve the quality of the journals we put out as African researchers and academia, and ensure that they reflect the contextual realities and are relevant within the global context.
“But the big question is how do we ensure the quality of the research outputs? We must enhance our universities’ websites. Sadly, many of them suffer from outdated contact information and inadequate articulation of institutional strengths.
“Improving online presence is crucial for increasing the visibility of the institutions and discoverability of their research outputs.”
