Cochrane reviews are helping to change practice the world over. Many Nigerians are now involved in conducting Cochrane systematic reviews. Unmistakably, Nigerian is the largest country in Africa.

Systematic reviews require time and skills and people who do reviews require support to do it well. The Cochrane Collaboration through the Cochrane Centres and review groups provide support to people who do systematic reviews.

The Cochrane Centres are particularly very important because people in the areas or countries where the centers are located benefit from their services. The South African Cochrane Centre (SACC) is the only centre providing support for people conducting systematic reviews in Africa at the moment.

To bring the services nearer to the people who are doing reviews, the SACC established a branch in Nigeria in February 2006.  The branch is located at the Institute of Tropical Diseases Research and Prevention, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Moore Road, Calabar Nigeria.

The Director of the branch, Dr. Martin Meremikwu was in South Africa in March 2006 to attend the Advisory Board Meeting of the SACC and also to interact with the staff members of the Centre. The visit afforded him the opportunity to learn vital administrative procedures of the center.

The Nigerian Branch of the SACC aims to promote the aims and activities of The Cochrane Collaboration in Nigeria and to provide support to Nigerian contributors to The Cochrane Collaboration.