Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr. Obi Adigwe, says Nigeria is seeking to close the long-standing gap between scientific discovery and real-world healthcare solutions as it hosts the SPARC Africa Translational Research Boot Camp and Scientific Conference in Abuja.
Speaking in an interview ARISE News on Monday, Dr Obi Adigwe, Director General of NIPRD, said Nigeria’s challenge has never been a lack of ideas, but weak systems that prevent research from translating into treatments, products, and economic value.
The initiative, a partnership between NIPRD and Stanford University’s globally recognised SPARC programme, aims to transform laboratory breakthroughs into treatments that reach patients.
“It’s not only a Nigerian problem. Translational research is a relatively new paradigm,” Adigwe said.
“Science started as basic research, and centuries ago, discoveries were impacting society almost immediately. But as universities became more focused on basic science, a disconnect began to emerge.”
He explained that Nigeria’s university system, which now includes between 250 and 300 institutions, is largely designed to produce academic publications rather than solutions to societal problems.
“When you have that kind of system, and you need to make your human capital ready to address national challenges, then translational research becomes the engine room,” he said.
“Under the current administration, there is a strong move to prioritise science and research, and translational research is how we convert that priority into impact.”
Adigwe said the partnership with Stanford’s SPARC programme was deliberately designed to bridge this gap.
“Our colleagues at Stanford are part of the machinery we are using to close that disconnect between laboratory science and patient care,” he said.
Unlike previous conferences that raised expectations but failed to deliver sustained outcomes, Adigwe stressed that the SPARC Africa engagement goes far beyond speeches and panel discussions.
“What we have is not just a conference. The conference was only day one,” he said.
“We are running a full week-long boot camp with hands-on training from 8am to 6pm. There are lectures, breakout sessions, and intensive mentorship with people who have been there and done that.”
According to him, African scientists attending the programme arrived with real projects and are being guided step-by-step on how to move those ideas from early research to viable products.
“They are being shown how a project can move from point A to point K. Who funds that movement is already being addressed,” Adigwe said.
“This model has worked before. It was used in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and it led to spin-off companies, start-ups, and clinical trial candidates.”
He said Nigerians should expect tangible outcomes from the programme within a defined timeframe.
“When you talk about success metrics, you are correct: patents, start-ups, and clinical trial candidates,” he said.
“These are outcomes we expect to see within the next 18 to 24 months.”
Adigwe criticised the long-standing academic culture that prioritises publications over societal impact.
“Before now, the focus was on having hundreds of publications, becoming professors, and not impacting society,” he said.
“This is about changing attitudes, not just rethinking the model.”
He announced that SPARC Nigeria is being launched to ensure sustainability and local ownership of the translational research ecosystem.
“Vice-chancellors, chief medical directors, and industry leaders were present, and many have indicated interest in opening SPARC chapters in their institutions,” he said.
“This will create an ecosystem that provides mentoring, access to funding, laboratories, and a clear framework to move from ideas to impact.”
Addressing concerns about intellectual property and possible exploitation, Adigwe said Nigerian researchers will retain ownership of their innovations.
“The ownership should remain with African institutions,” he said.
“The model is that institutions own the patents and license them out, benefiting from royalties, just as it is done globally.”
On sustainability beyond political transitions, Adigwe said NIPRD is deliberately building national capacity rather than concentrating resources within a single agency.
“Before my tenure, we depended largely on government funding. Under the leadership of my minister, we began to diversify and build capacity across the system,” he said.
“This is not a NIPRD project; it is a Nigeria project.”
He cited the €18 million European Union–supported vaccine development initiative as an example.
“That funding is spread across about 10 Nigerian institutions,” he said.
“As long as we keep building capacity for scientists to write strong grants and move innovations from ideas to impact, the pipeline will continue.”
Adigwe expressed confidence that once the ecosystem is firmly established, its benefits will outlast current leadership.
“Once you have this ecosystem in place, the gains will leap beyond us,” he said.
“It will improve access to healthcare, create socio-economic value, generate revenue, and support technology transfer.”
The SPARC Africa collaboration, he added, represents a critical step in Nigeria’s ambition to shift from importing medical solutions to exporting pharmaceutical and clinical innovation across Africa and beyond.
Boluwatife Enome
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