Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Policy-makers in the Federal Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) and in the Nigerian National Assembly have been urged to always make use of evidence synthesis reports to inform policy and programmatic decisions.
The Vice-Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State Nigeria, Professor Jesse Uneke, made the call during the Second National Stakeholders’ Engagement Event.
The event took place at the Rockview Classic Hotel, Abuja.
The varsity don stressed the need for Nigeria to shift focus on strengthening individual, organisational and national capacity to deliver goals and mandates.
Prof. Uneke, who is also the Founder of African Institute for Health Policy & and Systems, Ebonyi State University, emphasised the need for the development of technical capacity of middle and senior level policymakers on the use of context specific evidence to support policy-making in Nigerian MDAs.
Prof. Uneke informed participants that the meeting marked the commencement of series of trainings targeted at developing the capacity of the policymakers in evidence informed policymaking.
He commended Tetfund for supporting research projects in Nigerian universities, and made a case for Tetfund to liaise with MDAs to identify their areas of policy priorities and commission research in those areas within the universities.
Participants in the event were drawn from Federal Ministries of Health, Environment and Power, as well as from National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National Assembly, Civil Society Organisations, and the media.
The meeting which was supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, witnessed over 100 participants in attendance and also had guest facilitators.
Speaking during the event, one of the guest facilitators, Dr Violet Murunga of AFIDEP Kenya, shared the Kenyan experience of using evidence to inform policy.
Dr Anna Ninsiima from Makerere University Uganda, spoke on integrating gender equity in evidence informed policy institutionalisation processes within government ministries and agencies.
During the group deliberations, participants pointed out the barriers to evidence informed policy-making processes in their various ministries and agencies.
They appreciated the capacity strengthening they received, and pledged to do their best in applying what they have learnt so far.
