As part of its Corporate social responsibility efforts and the desire to increase COVID-19 testing efforts in Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC represented by Mr. Adebanjo Otukomaya, Zone Head, Lagos Mainland and Dr. Sylvanus Jatto donated test kits to NIMR on 16th July 2020. According to Dr. Sylvanus Jatto, the Medical and Wellness Consultant at STANBIC IBTC, the donation is in recognition of NIMR’s drive-through COVID-19 testing efforts.

In his response, the Director General of NIMR, Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako thanked Stanbic IBTC for the donation. He also emphasized the importance of receiving support from private organizations in augmenting government efforts towards flattening the COVID-19 curve, as well as supporting research and development in Nigeria. He expressed the hope for further collaboration with the Bank and other well-meaning organizations. According to the DG, NIMR will not relent in her various commitments towards curbing the pandemic.

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research has launched the country’s first set of local Ribonucleic Acid purification kits to help expand the nation’s capacity to test for COVID-19.

In his address at the official commissioning of the kits on Tuesday Tuesday 30th June 2020, Director-General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako explained that the local RNA kits would address the perennial problem of test kits shortage in the country and help ramp up daily testing capacity for COVID-19.

“The idea of producing the local Ribonucleic Acid purification kits was conceived after we noticed how its scarcity was delaying tests and other backlogs of samples,”

The product was christened NIMR Biotech Total RNA purification Kit.

https://nimr.gov.ng/nimr/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Commendation-letter-to-NIMR_MOH-1.pdf