Abuja: The Federal Government has been urged to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) and increase domestic investment in health research to safeguard Nigeria’s public health system amid declining international donor funding. Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, Executive Director of the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE), Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), made the call at a news conference in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the briefing was held ahead of the fourth IRCE Annual Scientific Symposium scheduled to take place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. The symposium, themed ‘Shaping the Future of Public Health Research through Sustainable Funding, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Innovation,’ aims to address the challenges posed by recent cuts in global health funding. Abimiku highlighted the importance of strengthening local financing for research and building sustainable capacity to address emerging health challenges and reduce vulnerability to fluctuations in external funding.
Abimiku warned that many Nigerian researchers rely heavily on international grants, and shrinking research budgets could weaken the country’s ability to compete for funding and generate locally relevant evidence. She urged the government to begin investing in research to keep researchers productive, build capacity, and sustain innovation, especially in the face of ongoing health challenges like HIV, cancer, sickle cell disease, and Lassa fever.
AI presents an opportunity to improve research productivity, accelerate data analysis, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making when deployed responsibly and ethically. However, Abimiku emphasized the need for innovation, critical thinking, and scientific curiosity to remain central to the research process. She explained that while AI can enhance research, it should not replace scientific thinking.
The symposium will explore how AI and machine learning can complement reduced research funding by improving efficiency while safeguarding data privacy and ethical standards. A pre-symposium hackathon has been introduced to expose researchers, healthcare professionals, and young innovators to practical AI tools for solving public health challenges.
Abimiku urged policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to collaborate in developing sustainable research funding mechanisms capable of reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign support. She cited South Africa’s model of competitive government-funded research grants as an example of sustaining scientific innovation despite reductions in international funding.
Dr. Sophia Osawe, Head of Research Operations at IRCE, noted that the centre’s Inform Africa programme is already deploying AI and machine learning to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for disease outbreaks, using big data to predict disease trends and identify communities requiring urgent interventions.
Dr. James Onyemata, Head of Molecular Diagnostics at IRCE, emphasized Nigeria’s strategic role in regional disease surveillance and genomic monitoring. With Nigeria accounting for a significant portion of West Africa’s population, genomic surveillance data generated in the country are essential for developing vaccines effective against circulating virus strains.