Landmark Success as ABUAD Hosts Inaugural Pre-Conference Workshop on Grant-Winning Proposals

Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) has recorded another historic milestone with the hugely successful hosting of the first-ever Pre-Conference Workshop of its College of Medical and Health Sciences (CMHS).

Tagged “Writing Grant-Winning Proposals,” the hybrid event held on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 at the College of Clinical Sciences Auditorium, ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, attracting hundreds of faculty members, early-career researchers, postgraduate students and participants from across Nigeria and the diaspora.

The workshop, which served as the curtain-raiser for the 2025 ABUAD-CMHS Scientific Conference themed “Building Resilient Health Systems Through Education, Collaborative Research and Policy,” has been widely described as a game-changer in bridging the funding gap that has long hindered African researchers from competing effectively for prestigious international grants.

Delivering the opening address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor E. Smaranda Olarinde, FCArb, FCAI, declared that modern universities are judged not only by the knowledge they impart but by the new knowledge they create, adding that without the ability to attract funding, even the most brilliant ideas remain dormant.

She commended the College for initiating the capacity-building programme at a time when African scholars are gaining global recognition, yet facing structural barriers in accessing grants from bodies such as National Institutes of Health, USA, Wellcome Trust, TETFUND and Fogarty International Center.

“I urge you to make the most of this opportunity. Engage deeply, ask questions, challenge perspectives, and be open to new ways of thinking and doing. The conversations you begin here could shape the next breakthrough, the next policy reform, or even the next global collaboration in health research,” she advised.

The resource person, Dr Omamuyovwi Ijomone – Associate Professor, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo and Visiting Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, – took participants through a practical, step-by-step masterclass that demystified the art and science of crafting competitive proposals.

Dr. Ijomone shared real-life experiences on hypothesis formulation, methodological rigour, budgeting, ethical considerations and, most importantly, how to tell a compelling research story that convinces reviewers.

The Acting Provost of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Associate Professor Louis O. Odeigah, together with the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Edem Edem, received glowing commendations for flawless planning and execution that ensured seamless hybrid delivery. The Vice-Chancellor particularly praised the team for elevating ABUAD’s growing reputation as a dynamic hub of research excellence and innovation.

As the first workshop of its kind in the College, the event has set a new benchmark and laid a solid foundation for sustained capacity building. Participants left with renewed confidence, sharper skills and, in many cases, the beginnings of new collaborative networks that are expected to translate into successful grant applications in the months ahead.

As the main scientific conference continued on 3–4 December with rich plenaries and breakout sessions on artificial intelligence in health, maternal and reproductive health, environmental toxicology, neuroscience and policy advocacy, the overwhelming success of the inaugural pre-conference workshop has already been singled out as one of the standout achievements of the week – a clear signal that ABUAD is deliberately equipping the next generation of African researchers to compete, win and lead on the global stage.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olarinde, the Ag. Provost, CMHS, and the Director of International Collaboration and Linkages, Professor Adeniran Afolalu, were among those who received awards for their exceptional contributions to the success of the workshop.