UNILAG inaugurates centre for clinical trials to ‘enhance research’

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) College of Medicine has inaugurated a Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science (CCTRIS) to “enhance medical research.”

At the inauguration on Wednesday, Folashade Ogunsola, vice-chancellor of the institution, said Nigeria and Africa at large have not made much progress in clinical trials.

The VC, represented by Lucian Chukwu, said the centre is therefore coming at the right time to “enhance research works in clinical trials and implementation science.”

“The area of clinical trials in the African continent has not been given its pride of place despite the fact that we control a significant part of the global population,” she said.

“We are very much under-represented in clinical trials in the world and we only have about 2.5 per cent of clinical trials going on in Africa.

“The official launch of the CCTRIS is coming at the right time and we are happy that the institution is blazing the trail in ensuring that we have this centre.

“The implementation science of CCTRIS would assist in bridging the gap between theory and practical.”

The vice-chancellor charged the CCTRIS director to ensure that the centre becomes a renowned facility in clinical research.

Also speaking, David Oke, the provost of UNILAG’s College of Medicine, said medical research plays a pivotal role in positioning the institution to attain its position at the centre of global institutions.

Oke added that the CCTRIS would focus on developing and facilitating innovative research and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

“Our objective as the foremost university in the country is to be a world-class research-intensive medical college to deliver teaching and facilitate learning of the highest quality and to play a leading role in health,” he said.

“It is justifiable to have a world-class centre like CCTRIS in this institution and it will be leading in the area of clinical trials.”

Bosede Afolabi, director of the centre, said CCTRIS aims to become a leading institution in the field of clinical trials and implementation.

“This centre aims to become a leading in the field of clinical trials and implementation science with a focus on developing and validating innovative research,” she said.

“We will also provide administrative and project management upper to the clinical research community in UNILAG, as well as other research institutes and Universities across the country.”