Nigerian Policymakers Urged to Embrace Evidence-Based Decision-Making

Policymakers across Federal Ministries, Agencies, and Departments (MDAs), as well as in the National Assembly (NASS), have received a clarion call to consistently integrate evidence synthesis reports into their policy and programmatic decisions.

Professor Jesse Uneke, Vice-Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State, and founder of the African Institute for Health Policy & Health Systems at Ebonyi State University, emphasized the imperative of utilizing context-specific evidence to inform policy-making during the Second National Stakeholders’ Engagement Event at Rockview Classic Hotel in Abuja.

Uneke stressed the necessity of enhancing the technical capacity of middle and senior-level policymakers to leverage evidence effectively in shaping policies within Nigerian MDAs.

He underscored the importance of bolstering individual, organizational, and national capacities to align with goals and mandates effectively.

The event, which convened participants from Federal Ministries of Health, Environment, and Power, alongside representatives from National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), National Assembly, civil society organizations, and the media, was supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, attracting over 100 attendees and featuring guest facilitators.

During the session, guest facilitators such as Violet Murunga from AFIDEP Kenya shared insights from Kenya’s experience in evidence-based policy formulation, while Anna Ninsiima from Makerere University Uganda delved into strategies for integrating gender equity into evidence-informed policy institutionalization processes within government ministries and agencies.

Uneke announced that the event marked the initiation of a series of capacity-building trainings aimed at empowering policymakers in evidence-informed decision-making.

He applauded TETfund’s support for research projects in Nigerian universities and advocated for collaborative efforts between TETfund and MDAs to identify policy priorities and commission research projects accordingly.