Olawepo JO, Ezeanolue EE, Ekenna A, et al.
Sub-Saharan Africa has limited capacity and infrastructure to conduct clinical trials identifying effective prevention, diagnostic, and treatment approaches for its disproportionate disease burden. This paper reports on the process of establishing the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance Model Innovation and Research Centres (NISA-MIRCs), a locally driven, participatory research network of 21 high-volume health facilities across six geopolitical zones capable of conducting clinical trials, implementation research, and health systems research, with cumulative capacity to recruit 60,000 women living with HIV and a matched HIV-uninfected cohort. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework, the team conducted a needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, governance development, research team training, site readiness assessment, and single national ethics approval, creating nationally representative infrastructure to support collaborative research and inform policy in Nigeria.
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