Africa's push to build world-class health research capacity has received a major boost after the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced a US$75 million endowment to establish a dedicated research centre at the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) in Nigeria.
The investment signals a broader push to build Africa's capacity to generate its own biomedical research, develop locally relevant treatments, and reduce dependence on overseas institutions for both specialised healthcare and medical innovation.
The new research centre will be housed within the 500-bed African Medical Centre of Excellence, a tertiary healthcare facility developed by Afreximbank in partnership with King's College Hospital London. Beyond delivering specialist care, the centre is expected to become a leading platform for research into diseases that disproportionately affect African populations, including sickle cell disease and cancer.
Speaking at the announcement in Abuja, Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi, said the funding would help establish Africa as a producer, not just a consumer, of medical knowledge and innovation.
To support this ambition, Afreximbank has also created the Africa Life Sciences Foundation, which will mobilise additional investment for biomedical research and innovation across the continent.
One of the centre's primary research priorities will be sickle cell disease, a condition that affects millions of Africans but remains comparatively under-researched despite its significant health burden. Researchers will investigate why patients from different African populations often respond differently to treatments, generating evidence that could lead to more effective therapies and personalised approaches to care.
Cancer research will also feature prominently, with scientists examining treatment responses among African populations to improve clinical outcomes and contribute to the development of new diagnostics and therapies.
Dr Elombi argued that expanding African-led research is essential if the continent is to retain ownership of its scientific discoveries and the economic value generated from them.
"If we don't do that research, the data will be collected in Nigeria and analysed elsewhere. Others will develop the innovations and benefit from the intellectual property, while Africa loses both the knowledge and the economic value," he said.
The investment also supports Nigeria's broader ambitions to become a regional destination for advanced healthcare. According to Afreximbank, the hospital is already providing specialised services that previously required patients to seek treatment abroad, helping reduce medical tourism while strengthening domestic healthcare capacity.
Among its advanced technologies is a cyclotron, a highly specialised machine that produces radioactive isotopes used in modern cancer diagnosis and treatment. Because many medical isotopes have extremely short lifespans and cannot be transported over long distances, local production is expected to significantly improve access to advanced cancer care in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.
The investment also aligns with broader continental efforts to reduce medical tourism, strengthen pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and build resilient health systems capable of addressing Africa's unique disease burden through locally led research and innovation.
Photo courtesy: Afreximbank
Article by Jed Mwangi
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