Taraba Moves to Renew Health Research Ethics Committee Accreditation
By Christiana Babayo
The Taraba State Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has commenced a three-day capacity-building training aimed at renewing its accreditation, which expired in February , 2025.
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The training is a mandatory requirement for the committee’s re-accreditation by the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC), with the renewed certification expected to remain valid for another three years upon approval.
Declaring the training open, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity by actively engaging with the facilitators and applying the knowledge gained in their respective roles.
“This training is an investment in the future of healthcare delivery in Taraba State. I encourage every participant to learn, ask questions and ensure that ethical standards are upheld in every research activity undertaken in the state,” the commissioner said.
Dr. Buma further noted that strengthening the state’s research ethics framework would encourage quality research capable of generating evidence for informed policy decisions and improved healthcare delivery.
“The knowledge and skills acquired during this training will enhance the quality of research conducted in Taraba State and generate evidence that will contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality as well as improving overall health outcomes,” he added.
The Commissioner also commended the National Health Research Ethics Committee and the facilitators for their continued support in building institutional capacity for ethical health research.
He specifically acknowledged the contributions of the resource persons, including Prof. Kolawole Solomon Oyedeji of the University of Lagos, Mr. Aminu Yakubu of the Centre for Bioethics Research, and Mr. Ado Danladi, Desk Officer of the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC), for sharing their expertise with participants.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Taraba State Health Research Ethics Committee and Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Health Services Management Board, Dr. Garba Danjuma, welcomed participants and resource persons, describing the training as a critical step toward strengthening ethical standards in health research across the state.
He expressed appreciation to the Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, for his commitment to improving the health sector and supporting research initiatives.
“I sincerely appreciate the Honourable Commissioner for Health for his unwavering support towards strengthening health research and ensuring that Taraba State maintains globally accepted ethical standards,” Dr. Danjuma said.
He stressed that credible health research must be guided by internationally accepted ethical principles to safeguard the rights, dignity and safety of research participants.
“Research cannot be conducted without proper ethical approval. Ethics remains the foundation of credible and acceptable research because it protects participants while ensuring that findings are reliable and beneficial to society,” he stated.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of Pediatric AIDS Treatment for Africa, PATA, the Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Mr. Samuel Tanko expressed the organisation’s delight in supporting the exercise, describing it as a significant milestone in promoting ethical and quality health research in Taraba State.
“We are pleased to be part of this important exercise. We commend the Taraba State Ministry of Health for its commitment to ensuring that all health research conducted in the state complies with national and international ethical standards,” he said.
The three-day training brings together members of the Taraba State Health Research Ethics Committee, health professionals and key stakeholders, with sessions focusing on ethical review processes, research governance and international best practices required for accreditation renewal
