UniAbuja Begins Training for Sickle Cell Clinical Trials

The University of Abuja’s National Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training (NCESRTA) has launched a capacity-building course for healthcare workers in clinical trials for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Director of NCESRTA, Prof. Obiageli Nnodu, disclosed this during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja to officially mark the commencement of the 12-week intensive training programme.

The training, which runs from Sept. 18 to Nov. 27, is sponsored by IQVIA in partnership with Bio Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) and aims to develop clinical research skills.

Nnodu noted the urgency, saying Nigeria must leverage its high SCD prevalence to attract and implement meaningful interventions that reduced the burden of the disease among children and young adults.

She highlighted that SCD caused lifelong complications, increasing risks of death from strokes, heart disease, kidney failure, and pregnancy-related issues if not properly managed through consistent, expert-led care.

The centre, she said, was already involved in genetic counselling, SCD diagnosis, data management, and multidisciplinary research, aligning with the World Health Organisation’s NCD global action plan.
She added that clinical trials for new therapies were gradually entering Nigeria, necessitating skilled professionals to ensure local participation in delivering patient-centered care and effective treatment outcomes.

“In this Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we aim to increase SPARC-Net sites able to take part in international trials and elevate patient care and management in Nigeria,” she added.

Nnodu said participants were selected from 25 SPARC-Net sites, five from each, and urged other healthcare providers offering comprehensive SCD care to join the virtual training sessions online.

She said the NHLBI-funded Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium Nigeria Network tracks 10,336 SCD patients across 25 centres using a standardised care model in prospective follow-up.

“The course will feature weekly virtual sessions led by international clinical trial experts, including specialists in regulatory science, finance, and ethical compliance for clinical research and development.

“At the end of the course, trainees will understand clinical research concepts, trial phases, ethical frameworks, and stakeholder roles, and be able to design, conduct, and report trials effectively.”

Nnodu thanked IQVIA for sponsoring the initiative and reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to transforming SCD care through research-driven capacity building in clinical practice.

Also speaking, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General, represented by Dr Beno Yakubu, said NAFDAC ensured drugs used in Nigeria were safe, effective, and meet international quality standards.

Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC had reached Global Benchmarking Maturity Level Three, meaning Nigerian drug approvals were globally respected, and efforts were underway to attain WHO Listed Authority status.

She explained that achieving the level meant Nigeria could develop and approved vaccines locally, making them eligible for global acceptance and distribution, enhancing national health security.

She added that for every clinical trial submitted, NAFDAC assessed benefit-risk ratios and protocol design to ensure trials met global standards and could be safely implemented in Nigeria.

Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s approval turnaround was 60 working days, but less complex studies that met all requirements might receive approval even faster, depending on protocol quality.

Dr Kwaku Marfo, IQVIA Africa Market Development Specialist, said IQVIA had worked across Africa for more than 30 years and remained committed to supporting innovation and capacity building across the continent.

He thanked the centre for allowing IQVIA to sponsor the training and expressed the organisation’s commitment to continuing its engagement with key health stakeholders in Nigeria and Africa.