DG Markets NIMR to Nigerian Elites
… Urges Support for Health Care Through Research
Director-General, Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa, has called on Nigerian elites to support the country’s health care delivery system by investing in medical research.
In an emotion-laden presentation at the 87th anniversary symposium of the prestigious Ikoyi Club, one of Nigeria’s oldest social institutions, on Tuesday, September 30, Obafunwa stressed that health care delivery cannot thrive without strong backing for research, which provides evidence-based solutions to the nation’s pressing medical challenges.
He noted that NIMR, as the country’s premier medical research institute, is at the forefront of developing innovations, interventions, and policies that can improve public health outcomes. However, these efforts, he warned, require consistent funding and collaboration, particularly from influential members of society.
“The elite have a critical role to play in shaping the future of Nigeria’s health care. By supporting research, they will not only help save lives but also strengthen the health system to meet the needs of present and future generations,” Obafunwa said.
He urged corporate leaders, philanthropists, and well-placed individuals to partner with NIMR in areas such as infrastructure development, research grants, and health innovation, stressing that such contributions would have lasting impacts on national health security.
Obafunwa expressed concern that massive endorsement and sponsorship by corporate organisations are currently being channeled towards social and entertainment ventures such as beauty pageants and reality shows, adding that similar investments could be extended to research and innovations at NIMR, which directly impact the health of millions of Nigerians across all social classes.
Ongoing Research Efforts
The NIMR Director-General highlighted the institute’s broad research portfolio, which covers many of Nigeria’s most prevalent diseases. These include infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, viral haemorrhagic fevers (including dengue, Lassa fever, and COVID-19), tuberculosis, malaria, onchocerciasis, trypanosomiasis, and monkeypox.
NIMR is also conducting studies on respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera), and helminth infections, while maintaining disease surveillance through its outpost in Asaba. Beyond research, the institute runs HIV clinics and has successfully stopped mother-to-child transmission for over five years. It is also pioneering work in herbal medicine, particularly on diarrhoeal diseases, and has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in that respect.
Other achievements include the development of diagnostic kits for COVID-19, hepatitis B and C, and the Human Metapneumovirus infection.
Despite these successes, Obafunwa lamented that the institute’s operations are hampered by inadequate funding.
“Ninety percent of NIMR’s funding is from international donors. Naturally, they are more interested in research that benefits their own societies. We are striving to redirect our activities to focus on diseases in our local environment. As I speak, we are yet to access our 2024 budget just three months to the end of 2025. It becomes imperative that individuals and corporate bodies intervene to ensure NIMR is able to achieve its mandate,” he said.
What NIMR Brings to the Table
Obafunwa assured the audience that NIMR has both the expertise and structures in place to deliver maximum value on any support received. According to him, the institute operates with a strategic, nationally-aligned research agenda, driven by multidisciplinary teams working in state-of-the-art laboratories supported by modern analytical platforms and sound project management systems.
He added that NIMR boasts a strong track record of partnerships and transparent governance frameworks, strict ethics oversight, compliance with regulatory standards, and a commitment to knowledge translation that ensures research outcomes are transformed into real-world health solutions.
“Our reporting processes are transparent, and we engage stakeholders every step of the way,” he explained. “This is why NIMR has become a hub of medical research in Africa, second only to South Africa. With the right support, we can do much more.”
The NIMR boss reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to excellence and innovation in health research, assuring stakeholders that every investment channeled into the institute would translate into measurable improvements in Nigeria’s health care landscape.
