Our Story — Why CHF Exists and What We Stand For
In 1997, six researchers from three countries sat down with a shared frustration and a bold conviction: that the biggest threats to African communities — poverty, disease, ignorance — were not being defeated because the evidence to defeat them was not reaching the people who could act on it.
Bridging the Gap: Transforming Evidence into Action
When six academics from Nigeria, the UK, and Ghana came together in 1997 following three years of deliberation, they boldly decided to establish a not-for-profit organisation to address the gap between evidence and its application into policy and practice against absolute poverty, ignorance, and disease in the African community.
Registered in 1999 in Nigeria, CHF has produced research evidence for use in several health, education, nutrition and food-related environmental policies. Evidence for policy is not in our DNA — it is our gene!
CHF has worked in all regions of Nigeria, particularly in Northern Nigeria where, despite abundant resources, the region is disproportionately behind all others in human development indices. Our team has experience working across West, East, Central and Southern Africa.
Meet Our Team →Mission
To alleviate poverty and ignorance through improved access to appropriate healthcare, nutritious food, people empowerment with particular consideration of the disadvantaged and most vulnerable member of the community.
Vision
We see a healthy, peaceful and prosperous society and a confident economically developed community.
Programme Focus
Human development, Education, Health, Food production and Environment.
Research Excellence
We use experimental and quasi-experimental designs alongside observational, anthropological, social and historical techniques — producing rigorous evidence respected globally by WHO, FCDO, Gates Foundation and others.
Community First
All our research projects have community participation as an integral component. Communities we serve must be at the centre of every research question we ask and every solution we propose.
Capacity Building
Annually we receive interns from universities in Nigeria and the United States. We have training agreements with graduate schools and provide capacity for policymakers to understand and use research.
CHF's Journey — 1997 to Today
Foundation Established
Six academics from Nigeria, the UK and Ghana came together to establish CHF as a not-for-profit organisation focused on bridging the gap between evidence and policy in Africa.
Registration
CHF was formally registered in Nigeria (RC 12361), became a member of the Non -government Development Organisation (NGDO) and corporate member of The Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, London. Began intense community-interactive research capacity development for undergraduates, government officials and institutions.
Community Directed Against Health Problems in Africa
At the forefront of research to control tropical diseases in Africa. CHF is a major participant in co-developing the Community-directed Intervention (CDI) strategy to control major health problems in Africa, including river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis. CDI was adopted by 19 countries as a standard for low-cost health service and commodity delivery.
Education Delivery System Strengthening
Transferred health-system research experience to evidence generation for education reform — addressing the teaching workforce, policy coherence, and access to education in conflict and crisis settings.
Partnership For Evidence Production
Expanded partnerships with WHO, Gates Foundation, USAID, UNICEF, World Bank, Emory University, IRC, FCDO and other international organisaitons across health and education research portfolios.
System Impact Intervention
CHF research output is consistently used for system reforms in Conflict and Crisis programme and is acknowledged by global policy institutions.