Empowering Researchers, Advancing Knowledge: The Journey of Rising Scholars National Research Hub, Nigeria

Authors

Funmilayo Doherty, Fortune Effiong, Aneyo Idowu, Zainab Yunusa-Kaltungo, Oritseweyinmi Erikowa-Orighoye, Eucharia Nwaichi,  Ngozi Osabede

The Leadership of the Rising Scholars National Research Hub, Nigeria

 

Why Rising Scholars Nigeria Exists

Research is at the heart of human development. It fuels innovation, drives policy decisions, and helps societies solve pressing challenges. Yet for research to thrive, scholars need access to training, mentorship, collaboration, and platforms for sharing their work. For many early-career researchers ECRs in Nigeria, the journey toward research writing and publication is filled with obstacles. The Nigeria Hub was created to support early-career researchers who struggle to access training, mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and publishing support.  This research hub serves as platform for knowledge transfer and identification of focal areas to create impactful collaborative research and strengthen research capacity. Rising Scholars Nigeria (formerly the AuthorAID National Research Hub, Nigeria) was established in December 2022 to address the most pressing challenges faced by early-career researchers in Nigeria. Our mission is to foster a supportive culture, build capacity through training, harness available resources aiding Nigerian researchers to engage in impactful collaborations, communicate research effectively and demonstrate the impact of their work in the society.

 

Research Hub Model

The Rising Scholars Nigeria Hub operates with a unique model that emphasizes local leadership and ownership. Although supported by the global Rising Scholars network, the Nigeria Hub is led entirely by Nigerian researchers who understand the community’s unique challenges and needs. A key strength of Rising Scholars Nigeria is its African-led, locally-owned model, which also contributes expertise to the RS global network.

 

What We’ve Achieved Since December 2022

• Community building

There are over 1,000 researchers in our national network currently. Our first event at Yaba College of Technology attracted 150 in-person participants and 120 online attendees. The hub's tangible impact has drawn researchers from other countries, positioning it as a beacon of excellence and collaboration in research.

• Capacity building

The hub has trained more than 700 researchers via workshops and webinars in research writing, data analysis, online presence, AI, and scholarly publishing. Notably, our data analysis webinar in 2025 engaged over 237 participants online.

• Mentorship program

In 2024, we launched the first cohort of our research writing and publication mentorship program, engaging 170 mentees and 30 mentors. Already, three early-career researchers have published scholarly articles, and mentor–mentee pairs continue to generate meaningful outputs.

• Strategic institutional partnerships

Our work is strengthened by a robust network of collaborators, spanning institutions such as Yaba College of Technology, the University of Port Harcourt, the University of Nigeria, the University of Lagos, the University of Calabar, the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, and the Institute of Mangrove Ecology and Environmental Technology.

 

 

Activities, Achievements and Their Impact - Bridging the Gap

 

What Our Members Say

Testimonials from our participants provide clear evidence of the positive impact these programs have had.

On MOOCs and Research Writing Courses

• “The course is not only comprehensive but also impeccably structured. As an early career researcher, this course has significantly boosted my confidence in making substantial contributions to translational research. It has equipped me with essential skills in literature search, research writing, research ethics, the identification of predatory journals, publication methodologies, and fundamentals of grant writing.”
• “After taking this course for the second time, I now fully understand it compared to the first time. Research is actually interesting, and with continuous learning, we will get better at research writing for sure. Many thanks to the amazing facilitators for their unmatched efforts in making this workshop a success.”

On Workshops

• “As an early career researcher, this workshop has exposed me to how to organize and communicate ideas. It has also exposed me to ways to avoid predatory publishing. I am really thankful to the organizers.”
• “I'm impressed with the knowledge I acquired due to the structured learning process.”
• “The workshop was very helpful, educative, and informative. I commend the team for providing this opportunity free of charge; the content exceeded expectations for a free course.”
• “The workshop was flexible and the interface user-friendly. I really appreciated the opportunity.”
• “Thank you to the organizers and facilitators, and the entire AuthorAID (now Rising Scholars) team. I participated from Ghana but felt like I was in Nigeria. The live sessions were interactive and applicable to all settings. I am extremely excited to have joined. Thank you.”

On Mentorship

• “I was a mentor in the mentorship programme. One of my mentees and I have been able to publish up to five articles (two in international journals). We are working on two more to present in a national conference in Jos.”

On Grant Writing Workshop

• “I attended a grant writing session organized by the hub. It trained my mind and boosted my confidence in shooting for grant applications. I have been able to apply the knowledge gained from the programs to apply for grants, and was able to secure two travel scholarships for conferences as a result.”

 

Our Vision: Where We’re Headed

Our roadmap for the coming years includes:

• Upskill 5,000 ECRs: By 2027, we aim to train 5,000 early-career researchers across Nigeria and globally in research writing, data analysis, publishing, ethics, grant writing, and funding opportunities through workshops and online courses.
• Establish Institutional Hubs: By 2027, we aim to establish hubs in 10 major universities, academic institutions, and research centers, creating decentralized knowledge-sharing communities and fostering local research ecosystems.
• Scale Up Our Structured Mentorship Program: In 2026, we aim to scale up our structured mentorship program that pairs experienced researchers with ECRs, offering personalized guidance, feedback, and support for research projects and publications.
• Develop Online Learning Platforms: We aim to continuously develop comprehensive online learning platforms offering self-paced courses, webinars, and resources on various aspects of research and scholarly communication, accessible to researchers across Nigeria and beyond.
• Facilitate International Collaborations: We are positioning ourselves to be at the frontier of international collaborations by connecting Nigerian researchers with global networks, promoting cross-border research partnerships, and facilitating the exchange of ideas and best practices.

 

How You Can Join the Hub

We welcome:

• Researchers who’d like to be members, mentees, or mentors
• Institutions ready to host hubs or collaborate
• Funders and partners who support capacity building and scaling these efforts

For correspondence, enquiries, and partnership opportunities, please contact us at:
📧 risingscholarsnigeria@gmail.com or visit https://risingscholars.net/en/community/nigeria-hub/