Ejemai Eboreime
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Oluwafunmike Ogwa
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Doctorkk Health International, Lagos, Nigeria
Rosemary Nnabude
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Kasarachi Aluka-Omitiran
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Community Health Services, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria
Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas
School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom; London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
Nneka Orji
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria
Achama Eluwa
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice Unit, The World Bank, Washington DC, United States of America
Adaobi Ezeokoli
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Aanu Rotimi
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Centre for Accountability and Inclusive Development, Abuja, Nigeria
Laz Ude Eze
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Talk Health Real Media Limited, Abuja, Nigeria
Vanessa Offiong
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; As Equals, CNN International, Abuja, Nigeria
Ugochi Odu
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Healthreach limited, Abuja, Nigeria
Rita Okonkwo
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, International Research Center of Excellence, Abuja, Nigeria
Chukwunonso Umeh
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; African Youth Initiative on Population Health and Development (AfrYPoD), Abuja, Nigeria
Frances Ilika
Palladium, Health Policy Plus Project, Abuja, Nigeria
Adaeze Oreh
Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, National Blood Transfusion Service, Abuja, Nigeria
Faith Nkut Adams
Direct Consulting and Logistics, Abuja, Nigeria
Ikedichi Arnold Okpani
School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Yewande Ogundeji
O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Chinyere Mbachu
Health Policy Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria
Felix Abrahams Obi
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Results for Development (R4D), Nigeria Country Office, Abuja, Nigeria
Okikiolu Badejo
Systems Development Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
Abstract
Introduction: recent efforts to bridge the evidence-policy gap in low-and middle-income countries have seen growing interest from key audiences such as government, civil society, international organizations, private sector players, academia, and media. One of such engagement was a two-day virtual participant-driven conference (the convening) in Nigeria. The aim of the convening was to develop strategies for improving evidence use in health policy. The convening witnessed a participant blend of health policymakers, researchers, political policymakers, philanthropists, global health practitioners, program officers, students, and the media.
Methods: in this study, we analyzed conversations at the convening with the aim to disseminate findings to key stakeholders in Nigeria. The recordings from the convening were transcribed and analyzed inductively to identify emerging themes, which were interpreted, and inferences are drawn.
Results: a total of 630 people attended the convening. Participants joined from 13 countries. Participants identified poor collaboration between researchers and policymakers, poor community involvement in research and policy processes, poor funding for research, and inequalities as key factors inhibiting the use of evidence for policymaking in Nigeria. Strategies proposed to address these challenges include the use of participatory and embedded research methods, leveraging existing systems and networks, advocating for improved funding and ownership for research, and the use of context-sensitive knowledge translation strategies.
Conclusion: overall, better interaction among the various stakeholders will improve the evidence generation, translation, and use in Nigeria. A road map for the dissemination of findings from this conference has been developed for implementation across the strata of the health system.
