Background Ethical conduct of research is a global topical issue. Research findings are disseminated viajournal publications. Hence, journal editors should serve as gatekeepers by ensuringthat authors report ethical review oftheir work before publication. This study aimed at determining the compliance of Nigerian medical journals to ethical clearance certification. Methods A cross-sectional design wasemployed using mixed-methods approach. Nigerian Medical Journals were evaluated and journal editors interviewed. Key informant interview (KII)guide was used forthe qualitative aspect. Results A total of 24 journals and 400 publications were included. Of the 400 original articles, 302(75.5%) reported having obtained ethical approval, while 236(70.9%) ofthose eligible reported having obtained informed consent. Six themes emerged fromthe KIIs. Conclusion Reporting of ethics approval and informed consent was high. This is commendable and calls for more effort on medical research stakeholders to maintain the current rate and improve on it in upholding standards of ethical conduct in research.