UNIZIK ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
UNIZIK Takes Institutional Mentorship Experience to Global NTD Conference in Rwanda
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has showcased its institutional mentorship experience on the global stage at the 17th Annual Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
The University’s experience was presented by Dr. Ogechukwu Benedicta Aribodor, Associate Professor of Public Health Parasitology in the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biosciences, who shared UNIZIK’s experience in implementing the WHO/TDR HERMES Mentorship Guide—a framework designed to strengthen mentorship and career development within research institutions.
In her presentation titled “Mentorship as a Systems Strategy for Resilient NTD Programmes: Strengthening Leadership and Capacity in Endemic Countries,” Dr Aribodor highlighted how the HERMES framework was adapted to the UNIZIK institutional context.
She explained that the University’s approach combines structured mentorship, practical support, equity, research capacity strengthening and institutional ownership to create a sustainable system for developing researchers and future leaders.
Drawing from lessons learnt from the UNIZIK experience, Dr Aribodor emphasised that mentorship should move beyond informal relationships and become a deliberate, structured and sustainable institutional strategy for nurturing the next generation of researchers and leaders.
She further linked effective mentorship to the long-term sustainability of Neglected Tropical Disease programmes, stressing the importance of developing leadership pipelines in endemic countries.
According to her, “country ownership requires leadership pipelines.”
Dr Aribodor, who is also the Programme Manager of the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Nigeria Hub and a member of the WHO/TDR HERMES 2.0 Leadership Team, participated in the conference with support from WHO/TDR.
Her presentation further underscores UNIZIK’s growing contribution to international conversations on mentorship, research capacity strengthening, leadership development and global health, while highlighting the University's commitment to building sustainable institutional systems for research and innovation.
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