Director of the African Centre for Excellence in Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science at the University of Lagos, Omobolanle Ademilua, has emphasised the need for increased government funding for research towards empowering manufacturers for sustainable solutions.
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Ademilua spoke at the 15th West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA) yearly workshop and regional conference on research and innovation management in West Africa, hosted by the University of Lagos.

She highlighted the dwindling external funding for research, emphasising that funders were now seeking solutions to their problems rather than supporting external research initiatives. She urged the government to recognise the intelligence of the nation and provide the necessary funding to empower local researchers.

“Nobody will solve our problem for us except ourselves. Our government must rise up, we are very intelligent people and we need the government to provide the funding; we have the brains already,” Ademilua stated.

She stressed the importance of investing in local researchers and ensuring that research outcomes benefit the region, preventing the outsourcing of innovations.

The lead speaker at the conference, Elizabeth Batchilly, from the MRC Unit, The Gambia, at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, noted that high-quality research is crucial to address health and socio-economic challenges in Africa. She highlighted the insufficient investment in research, the lack of government budgets, and limited funding schemes for African researchers.
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