Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa
MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCPath (UK), FWACP, FMCPath, FNAMed
Director-General/Chief Executive Officer
Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)
Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa is an internationally acclaimed physician, forensic pathologist, educator, administrator, and medical-legal expert, with over four decades of distinguished service across academic medicine, forensic science, and healthcare leadership.
He’s currently Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Nigeria’s foremost institution for medical and public health research.
Prof. Obafunwa obtained his medical degree (MBBS) from the University of Lagos in 1980 and began a robust medical career in anatomic and forensic pathology. He holds multiple prestigious fellowships including Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (UK), Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, and Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. In 2022, he earned an MD in Pathology from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (FNAMed). He completed a Ph.D. in forensic sciences at the University of Nebraska, USA, where he previously served as a visiting professor.
His extensive academic and professional experience spans Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands, where he held top-tier positions in pathology and laboratory medicine. He was the first Chief Medical Examiner for Lagos State, overseeing coroner investigations and mass fatality responses. He played leading roles in high-profile forensic investigations including the 2012 DANA Air crash, the 2015 Synagogue Church building collapse, and the 2020 #EndSARS protest fatalities.
Prof. Obafunwa is a former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University and served as Provost of the Lagos State University College of Medicine. He is also a past Head of the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine, where he has trained generations of pathologists and medical students.
A globally respected forensic expert, he has contributed over 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and book chapters in fields ranging from forensic pathology and trauma to cancer research and mass disaster response. He has also served as principal investigator or co-investigator in major multinational studies, including those funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and led by institutions such as the University of Chicago and the University of Florida.
In addition to his medical and scientific qualifications, Prof. Obafunwa holds legal certifications including an LL.B. (Hons.) from the University of Northumbria, UK, and is a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine. His interdisciplinary expertise in medicine and law uniquely positions him to lead public health research initiatives, medical policy reforms, and forensic systems development in Nigeria and internationally.
Prof. Obafunwa is committed to advancing the frontiers of biomedical research, health system strengthening, and scientific innovation at NIMR. Under his leadership, the Institute aims to expand its global research partnerships, improve national disease surveillance and diagnostics, and enhance translational research that informs public health policy and saves lives.