Held from 15 – 18 January 2023 at the MRCG Unit campus in Fajara and the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, the annual flagship event brought together 175 participants from over ten West African countries, alongside representatives from East and South Africa, as well as Europe.

Highlighting the importance of Research Management systems, Prof Umberto D’Alessandro, MRGG Unit Director stated: “It is now unconceivable at the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, to do research without support – the system is an important reason for the successes we have had over the last 10 years.”

He added: “An efficient research management system is essential for any research or academic institution, and it is essential for scientists to appreciate that without a research management system, they cannot go very far.”

Led by Dembo Kanteh, Head of the MRCG’s Research Support Office and President of WARIMA, the association aims to collectively develop, engage and capitalise on research and innovation regionally. Members work to facilitate knowledge-based inventions, interventions, and solutions to enable sustainable development across West Africa.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of The Gambia, Prof Pierre Gomez said: “The Government of The Gambia is fully committed to ensuring that research is given a new impetus through cultivating a viable research culture, building resounding research capacity, and fostering research techniques in all our institutions of development.”

Prof Herbert Robinson, Vice Chancellor of UTG shared similar feedback saying: “We must recognise the need to build human and institutional capacities to respond to research opportunities… Our doors at the UTG are open for more collaborations with WARIMA to promote and conduct research in The Gambia.”

WARIMA is strategically placed to be a regional Leader in research and innovation management through global engagements, capacity building and collaborations.

As part of the conference, recommendations were made for universities, research institutions, and the private sector in the West Africa region to invest in gender research and innovation in order to provide evidence for public policy and support The Gambia’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in these areas.