PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF NIGERIAN RESEARCHERS AND PARTICIPANTS OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH

Abstract

The benefits of health research to populations have proven that the global community cannot dispense with such practices. There has been an increase in the number of international collaborative research involving human participants in Nigeria and it is necessary to protect the rights of Nigerian researchers and participants of research. The rights of both parties must be protected because they could be subjected to harm and unethical activities if the research field is not carefully regulated. Using a doctrinal method of study, this article discusses the regulatory framework that protects researchers and participants of health research in Nigeria. It discusses biobanking and genomic research and some ethical issues associated with such research that could violate the rights of both researchers and participants. It analyses the issues that need to be sorted out to ensure that these frameworks are effective. The article recommends that health institutions should establish research ethics committees in accordance with regulatory directions and equip them to adequately perform their responsibilities