Minister inaugurates Varsity Clinical Trial Centre

The coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has commissioned the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Clinical Trial Centre, a state-of-the-art facility established to strengthen clinical research, innovation and evidence-based healthcare in Nigeria.

The ceremony took place during the weekend when the minister visited the hospital to flag off the federal government’s distribution of emergency obstetric and newborn care equipment, commodities and delivery kits.

He also inspected ongoing infrastructure projects within the hospital.

At the event, the chief medical director (CMD) of ATBUTH, Prof. Yusuf Bara Jibrin, described the centre as a major milestone in the hospital’s commitment to advancing medical research and improving healthcare outcomes through high-quality, ethical clinical trials conducted in line with international standards.

Jibrin noted that the centre will support research on vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and other health interventions while serving as a platform for training healthcare professionals, fostering scientific collaboration, and generating local evidence to address priority health challenges.

The CMD expressed profound appreciation to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia (MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM) for their invaluable technical support, partnership, and commitment, which were instrumental in the establishment of the Centre.

He further commended the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for prioritising investments in research, innovation, and health system strengthening across the country.

Usman Abdullahi Koli, ATBUTH’s head, relations and protocol unit, said the Clinical Trial Centre is expected to position ATBUTH as a leading hub for clinical research, capacity building, and collaboration with national and international partners, contributing to improved patient care and better health outcomes in Nigeria and beyond.

Koli reaffirmed the hospital’s management commitment to maintaining the centre as a facility of excellence that will support groundbreaking research, promote innovation, and contribute to the advancement of healthcare in line with the hospital’s mandate of service, training, and research.