In Africa, the culture of systematic data collection is very rudimentary. There is also minimal institutional and human capacity to carryout sustainable data collection for programming. Most of the time existing data lacks quality. The importance of independent monitoring and evaluation (M&E), surveillance and basic and operational research data to support quality and evidence-based planning and programming in supporting the public and private institutions cannot be over-emphasized. This means emphasizing performance and accountability through aligned indicators linked to organizational strategic framework, aimed at addressing a problem or gap. The importance of data generation, compilation and analysis and its use will continue to play a critical role in ensuring improved planning, re-planning and programming, and will continue to strengthen local and national actions.
The value of data is realized only through effective use of it. Collecting numbers—even the best numbers—or constructing the perfect indicators is useless unless data are reviewed and interpreted and then fed back into the decision-making process. M&E, surveillance and basic and operational research data should properly be collected and consistently be applied to problem-solving within the ongoing programme and decision-making processes. Hence the need for an independent and private agency to support public and private institutions in order to collect timely, reliable and accurate data for Government, Global Funds, World Bank, European Union, CDC, USAID, PEPFAR, DFID and other donors.

Continental Research (CR) is a group of multidisciplinary professional experts with international repute aimed at providing technical support to development partners, international and local NGO's, Federal and State Governments in Nigeria on data generation, quality assurance and its use in programming. CR is research organization with a reputation for high standards and superior performance.

The vision of CR is to support organizations to:
- .Generate high quality data through internationally accepted approaches.
- .Serve as independent, research, surveillance and monitoring and evaluation body to support programme implementation linked to UNGASS, Millennium development goals, Poverty alleviation strategies, sustainable development, Economic and Political Reforms.
- . Provide institutional capacity building on surveillance, monitoring and evaluation and research.
- . Serve as independent body to manage conferences and event of international and national scale using international standards.
- . Support data management of large scale studies.
- . Support existing studies, surveillance systems with independent quality assurance in order to improve quality of data.
- . Support programmes with data triangulations and strategic information.
-. Design and Installation of e-health solution for Government and private health care institutions.
-. Organise capacity building and training programmes locally and International.