DR. AUDU LIMAN, Country Director of PACT Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation concerned about primary healthcare research, has commended American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State for its quality research dissemination.

Speaking at a two-day seminar on primary healthcare, which held at the school, Dr. Liman noted that AUN has been graded as having one of the best digital libraries in Africa. He then called on researchers to use the school’s facilities and rely less on Oxford University or MIT, especially as the human resources and the technical capacities to effectively carry out quality research are available in the school.

According to Liman, the seminar, which begun last year in Bayelsa State, aims at sharing preliminary findings, adding that the seminar will be duplicated in 10 other states across the country with each state government as co-organiser.

Dr. Bisayo Odetoyinbo kicked off discussions with Assessment Of Health Services Provision In Adamawa State, while Professor Ogoh Alubo and Dr. Anande Hunduh facilitated the second-day session on, The Political Economy Analysis Of Health Systems Funding In Adamawa State.” Participants made recommendations regarding appropriate steps to improve healthcare services, especially for women and children.

Commenting on the recommendations, Dr. Liman said they would be put in prints and launched in four weeks time. “We are committed to continuing to support the research by making its findings available to everyone across the globe. There is a separate group looking at the research findings with the hope to write it up for publication in international journals.  This way the body of knowledge in public health in Nigeria would be expanded.”

Regarding the relevance of involving students and academic staff in the critique of research methodology and in providing feedbacks, Liman said: “This will help what AUN is doing, which is training students to become innovators, managers, and leaders, as those of us who are getting older are edging out of the business. It is only by involving academia and universities in this kind of work that both the demand creation and the innovation can continue to happen.”

A joint project of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) and PACT Nigeria, the healthcare evaluation research seminar attracted 11 state commissioners of health, as well as primary healthcare development agencies across the country.