The 2026 edition of Africa’s Clinical Research Ecosystem Summit (ACRES) will take place on November 27 and 28 in Yaba, Lagos, focusing on building African talent and local research capacity in clinical trials.
The summit will bring together students, healthcare professionals, researchers, academic institutions and industry stakeholders. Its theme is “Redefining Representation & Talent in African Clinical Trials.”
The organisers said the summit would help students and early-career professionals understand the clinical research ecosystem, explore career pathways and connect with practitioners in healthcare and research.
The convener of ACRES and Managing Director of United Clinical Trials Support Services (UCTSS), Aizehi Onoigboria, said the programme was designed to move participants from theory to practice.
“We created this workshop so students could move beyond theory and start thinking in solutions, not just learning what clinical research is, but understanding how it works and where they fit into it,” she said.
A student who attended a previous session said it changed how she viewed career options in Nigeria. “My key takeaway from the event is that your BSc is your base, what you do with that BSc, and how you specialise will determine your future,” the participant said.
Speakers at this year’s summit include a Professor of Paediatric Surgery at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Adesoji Ademuyiwa; an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Internal Medicine, Dr Ramalan Mansur; and the Chief Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Toyosi Raheem.
Others are the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Innomas Clinical Research, Lisa Ursella Collins, who is also with the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria; Onoigboria; and the Growth and Partnerships Manager at YLabs, Yusuf Babatunde.
The programme will include interactive sessions, networking opportunities and a group presentation initiative themed “Solutions that Strengthen Clinical Research Capacity in Nigeria.” Participants will identify gaps in the country’s clinical research ecosystem and present practical proposals to address them.
The summit is supported by Biospherea, National Public Health Network, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Clinton Health Access Initiative, NIMR and Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital. Others are the Nigerian Association of Microbiology Students, the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, the College of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science Students Association (UNILAG chapter) and Yaba College of Technology.
Registration is open to students, healthcare professionals, researchers and other stakeholders at https://acres.unitedclinicalss.com/register/. Organisations seeking sponsorship, exhibition or partnership opportunities can contact the ACRES team. Sponsorship may be financial or in kind.
Confirm the venue in Yaba, the gender of Onoigboria (written as “she” here) and the full name of the student quoted before publication.
