L-R: Adeseye Akinsete, consultant paediatric hematologist and oncologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); Osas Osunde, associate director, Medical Affairs and Trial Management, Xcene Research; Faramola Ogunkoya, associate director, Clinical Operations, Trial Management and Delivery, Xcene Research; Christina Amira, consultant nephrologist, LUTH; and David Oladele, head, Clinical Trial Management Unit, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) during the commemoration of the International Clinical Trials Day 2026
adsClinical research is often discussed in cold, sterile terms covering data points, protocols, inclusion gaps, and regulatory frameworks. But for African patient populations, a clinical trial is far more than just science or research. It represents a vital opportunity to plug into global medical innovation, a hope for meaningful contribution, and an active role in a global movement shifting from struggle to solution.
Building on annual efforts to overcome structural barriers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the 2026 International Clinical Trials Day theme, ‘Research Rising’, celebrates the people behind the knowledge just as much as the breakthroughs in molecular research.
