Prof. François Niragire

Academic rank: 
Associate professor
Department: 
Applied Statistics
School: 
School of Economics
College: 
College of Business and Economics(CBE)
Phone: 
+250 788 427 688
E-mail: 
fniragire@ur.ac.rw
Educational Background: 
François Niragire is Associate Professor of Applied Statistics and Director for Research and Innovation at the College of Business and Economics, University of Rwanda (UR). He holds a Ph.D. degree in Applied Statistics, a MSc. in Social Statistics and a Bachelor of Mathematics education. He has over 15 years of experience in research and teaching in higher education. Prof. Niragire has made significant contributions to research and teaching on both postgraduate and undergraduate programmes since 2005. As Director for Research and innovation, he provides research leadership and expert support in research resources management and mobilization as well as research infrastructure and capacity strengthening. In the same framework, he has facilitated many trainings and seminars on research methodology and communication. Prof. Niragire has also mentored a number of students on their masters and doctoral research projects. His research interest has focused on applications of statistical methods in population and health research, including biostatistics, spatial epidemiology, policy analysis, and economics of higher education. Prof. François Niragire has a good record of publications in impact peer-reviewed indexed journals including Plos One, Geospatial health, Global Health Action, and Cities and Health, BMC Archives of Public Health, … to cite few. Prof. Niragire has provided consultancy services to diversified clients including public and private institutions as well as Non-Governmental Organizations. Besides the teaching of statistical, mathematical and research methodology courses, Prof. Niragire has a long-standing experience in academic programme development and management. Before serving as the Director for Research and innovation, he had been the Director for Teaching and Learning Enhancement Unit of the College of Business and Economics since 2018, and he served as Head of Academic Department of Applied Statistics at the National University of Rwanda between 2011 and 2012, and Secretary of the Faculty Quality Committee in charge of teaching, learning and assessment quality assurance and control for the Faculty of Economics and management of the then National University of Rwanda between 2010 and 2013. Prof. François Niragire has implemented externally funded research and education projects as principal investigator. For example, he completed the implementation of the “Intra-University Collaboration for Advanced Research training at University of Rwanda (UR)” project funded by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) in 2019. The project aimed to improve research methodology training in doctoral programmes delivered at UR. He also completed the implementation of a community research project to understand the exceptions in child nutrition indicators in poor and food-insecure settings in Rwanda with the funding from the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in 2020. He was a core member of the team that spearheaded the wining of the World Bank grant to establish the African Centre of Excellence in Data Science at the University of Rwanda in 2016. Prof. François Niragire has expertise in design and management of research projects, research data management, advanced analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as the applications of statistical packages in the research process. He strives for transforming data into useful information for policy and action, and believes that computer programming is key to the analysis of big data.
Research Interests and area of expertise : 
Methods of Applied statistics, and biostatistics Social determinants of Health and epidemiology Child and maternal health Economics of education
Publications: 

 

  1. Niragire F., Ndikumana C., Nyirahabimana MG., Uwizeye D. (2021): Prevalence and factors associated with fertility desire among HIV-positive women in Rwanda in the context of improved life expectancy. Archives of Public Health, 79(1):209.  25 Nov 2021
  2. Ntampaka P., Niragire F., Nyaga PN, Habarugira G. (2021): Canine Gastrointestinal Nematodiases and Associated Risk Factors in Kigali City, Rwanda. Journal of Parasitology Research 2021, 2021:9956256.  https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9956256  23/ Jul/ 2021
  3. Semakula M., Niragire F., Umutoni A, Christel Faes et al. (2021). The secondary transmission pattern of COVID-19 based on contact tracing in Rwanda. BMJ Global Health 6(6):e004885. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9956256  08 June 2021
  4. Semakula M., Niragire F., Faes C. (2020). Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling of malaria risk in Rwanda. PLoS ONE 15(9): e0238504. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238504 .   10 Sept , 2020.
  5. Tumusiime M., Ntampaka P., Niragire F., Sindikubwabo T., and F. Habineza F. (2020). Prevalence of Swine Gastrointestinal Parasites in Nyagatare District, Rwanda. Journal of Parasitology Research 2020: 1-7.  02/12/2020
  6. Muremyi R., Haughton D, Kabano I, Niragire F. (2020). Prediction of out-of-pocket health expenditures in Rwanda using machine learning techniques. Pan African Medical Journal 37:357.  doi: 10.11604/pamj.2020.37.357.27287.   21/Dec/2020
  7. Uwizeye D., Irambeshya A., Simeon Wiehler S., and Niragire F. (2020). Poverty profile and efforts to access basic household needs in an emerging city: a mixed-method study in Kigali’s informal urban settlements, Rwanda, Cities & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1764301    16/ Jun/ 2020
  8. Ntampaka, P., Nyaga, P.N., Niragire, F., Gathumbi,J.K., and Tukei, M., (2019). Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding rabies and its control among dog owners in Kigali city, Rwanda. PloS ONE, Vol.14, No. 8: e0210044., doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210044    20/Aug/2019
  9. Niragire, F., Achia, T. N. O., Lyambabaje A. and Ntaganira, J., (2017). Child mortality inequalities across Rwanda districts: a geoadditive continuous-time survival analysis., Geospatial Health, Vol. 12, No 1,36-47,  doi:10.4081/gh.2017.450.                 11/May/2017
  10. Niragire F. and Nshimyiryo A. (2017). Determinants of increasing duration of first unemployment among first degree holders in Rwanda: a logistic regression analysis. Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 30:3, 235-248, doi: 10.1080/13639080.2016.1165343.            28/March/2016
  11. Niragire, F., Achia, T. N. O., Lyambabaje A. and Ntaganira, J., (2015). “Bayesian mapping of HIV infection among women in Rwanda”, PloS ONE, Vol.10: 3: e0119944, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119944.  26/March/2015 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0119944
  12. Ntegereze P, and Niragire F. (2015). Analysis of Causes of Physical Domestic Violence against Women in Huye District of Rwanda, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 5(5), ISSN 2250-3153.
  13. Babatunde, A., Nyasulu, P., Maseko, F., Adedini, S., Akinyemi, J., Afolabi, S., De Wet, N., Sulaimon, A., Sambai, C., Utembe W., Opiyo, R., Awotidebe, T., Chirwa, E., Nabakwe, E., Niragire,F., Uwizeye, D., Niwemahoro, C., Kamndaya, M., Victoria Mwakalinga, V. and Otwombe, K., (2014). Sharing perspectives and experiences of doctoral fellows in the first cohort of Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa: 2011-2014, Global Health Action, Vol.7: 25127.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/gha.v7.25127

  1. Niragire F., Wangombe A. and Achia T. N. O., (2011). Use of the shared frailty model to identify the determinants of child mortality in Rwanda, Rwanda Journal, Series C, Vol. 20, 2011, pp.89-105.

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/rj/article/view/66521

  1. Masanja, N.L. De Silva, D. Uwizeye and F. Niragire, 2011. Empowering Women in Research and Ph.D Training: The Case of the National University of Rwanda”, pp. 71, Nostra, Stockholm, Sweden, ISBN: 978-91-978436-5-2
Professional Achievements: 
François Niragire has over 15 years of experience in teaching in higher education. Since his academic career in 2005, Dr. Niragire has made significant contributions to research, and teaching for both postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. He has facilitated many trainings and seminars on research methodology and communication. His current activities at University of Rwanda also involve the management of research and education projects as well as the supervision of both undergraduate, masters and doctoral research projects.