The Institute has established research and development partnerships with several international and local bodies to further the cause of its mandate. The following collaborations are worthy of note:

1. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Washington, U.S.A. has collaborations with NIPRD in the area of training, laboratory infrastructure development, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and recruitment of Ph.D. Research Fellows in National Product Chemistry...|  Read more
2. New American Ambassador Visits NIPRD; As Minister of Health Commissions New Chemistry Laboratory...|  Read more
3. Howard University, Washington, U.S.A. collaborates in the area of capacity building through workshops and training of Pharmacist on monitoring of antiretrovirals (ARVs) use...
4. Xechem Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd collaborates on Pilot scale extraction of herbals.
5. Nigerian Universities collaborate with NEPRD in the area of undergraduate and postgraduate training and research partnerships.
6. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) collaborates towards making NIPRD’s research activities industry-demand driven and private sector-funded.
7. Traditional Medicine Practitioners collaborates in the area of standardization of remedies and practices.
8. UNIDO collaborates with NEPRD in the area of Pilot extraction of medicinal plants

NIPRD, UI AND U.S HEALTH INSTITUTE SIGN RESEARCH AGREEMENT
The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Health (NIH) U.S.A. and the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, are collaborating in the training of scientists in medicinal chemistry and infectious diseases.

The signing ceremony of the Training collaboration Agreement (TCA) was held on the 8th of August 2006. the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador John Campbell observed that the training Collaboration had brought together the National Institute for Pharmaceutical research and development (NIPRD) a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, University of Ibadan, Department of Chemistry and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the U.S. National Institute of Health. Te TCA establishes general terms for collaboration between NIPRD, NIAID and the University of Ibadan.

Under the agreement NIAID will provide mentoring and advanced laboratory training for Ph.D candidates who have been selected to participate in the collaborative programme and have successfully completed registration for doctoral work at University of Ibadan and NIPRD. The university of Ibadan will provide didactic training and academic support, including awarding doctoral degrees to candidates who have successfully completed the requirements established by the University. NIPRD, in consultation with the University of Ibadan and NIAID will participate in the recruitment and selection of Nigerian candidates for the scholars programme. These institutions will also provide mentoring and in-country laboratory training for programme participants.

In his brief remarks, the Director General of NIPRD, Dr. U.S. Inyang commended the American Government for all it has done for NIPRD since the collaboration started in 2002 when he came to NIPRD. He started that the NIH had installed an Information Communication Technology (ICT) facility for the Institute which was commissioned in August 2005 by the then Hon. Minister of State for Health, Mrs. Helen Esuene and the Special Adviser to the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services.

With the ICT facility which is equipped with Video Conferencing facility, the Institute’s Scientists can assess million of journals and other resources in the internet. This has contributed significantly to the numerous achievements of the Institute. NIH had also donated the whole library books and journals at their Rockville facility to NIPRD.

Six NIPRD Scientists have received various forms of training at the NIH laboratory in Washington DC, USA and more are scheduled to go before the end of the year. The three scholars that have been chosen for the Ph.D programme this year are expected to be at the NIH laboratory in the USA before the year ends for three months orientation.

One of the greatest benefits of the collaboration is that it will expose our scientists to the latest R & D techniques in the USA

NIPRD’S ULTRA-MODERN COMMUNICATION CENTRE
Information, they say, is power’ it is true then to say that, for about 16 years, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development [NIPRD], Idu Abuja, was more or less powerless. Reason being that, even though the Institute boasts of having some of the best scholars/scientists in the worlds, it was in the dark. It was impossible to access information outside the institute unless the scientist visited a cyber café you may guess what his meager salary would be able to achieve at the end of the month. To take this shame away from NIPRD, its former DG/CEO, Dr. U. S, Inyang, took the bull by the horn. He made up his mind not only to clean up the dirty physical environment, landscape of the entire institute, but also to ensure that NIPRD gets an internet facility of international standard. This one time awardee of the prestigious NIH fellowship for PhD training at the Howard University, USA, looked back at his alma-mater and beckoned on them to assist NIPRD. Today, the presence of NIPRD can be felt by both the most junior and senior staff of NIPRD. Dr. Inyang has left his friends guessing how he got NIH to HIPRD. His enemies admire him for the miracle. The assistance from NIH led to what is today considered the best ICT facility in Nigeria. As part of this assistance, NIH has also trained some researchers especially in the area of phytomediciens for the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Plans have reached an advanced stage to establish a chemistry lab in NIPRD in 2006.

Even though Dr. U. S. Inyang is a quiet man, who sees every information as blowing one’s trumpet. Maybe because of his civil service background, the commissioning of the ICT facility by the then honourable minister of state for health, Mrs. Helen Esuene, cannot be left to go without mention. Incidentally, it was the first official assignment of Mrs. Esuene after assuming office. Well, which minister would not like to start his/her ministerial assignment on such a wonderful note?

The NIH project co-coordinator in NIPRD and a professor of chemistry, Joseph Okogun, was on hand to provide explanation; most interesting was the video conferencing. One of the most influential men in America, 35 year old William Steiger and the Special Assistant Secretary to Health, USA led the delegation from Washington. He could not hide his approval of all that he saw in NIPRD. Another delegate of note was Dr. Ed. expedite action on the monumental NIPRD laboratory complex. The then minister of state for health commended Dr. U. S. Inyang for the marvelous work he had done in NIPRD despite the lack of funds. She promised to get the government to assist the Institute. Other prominent powers that were present at the commissioning ceremony were the Director special projects in the federal ministry of health, Dr. Nasidi, the chairman of Research, Development and Planning Committee of NIPRD, Dr. Olobayo Kunle and members of management of NIPRD. The chairman of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Prof. F. Ogunbonna, was also present.

The American delegation have come and gone, the minister has commissioned the best ICT in town, most NIPRD staff are happy, many staff are getting born again and for sure, a new frontier for greater interaction between Nigeria and America has opened. The benefits of all these to the ordinary Nigerian, only time will tell.