The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa, has presented tuition fees and laptops to recipients of the institute’s Pharmaco-epidemiology Scholarship.

The beneficiaries — Ms. Chiamaka Agbaetu, a Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Lagos, and Mr. Daniel Adeniyi, a Master of Public Health student at Lead City University, Ibadan — were selected following a competitive interview process conducted by the institute. The process formed part of the implementation of a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Fogarty International Center.

In 2023, NIMR was awarded a prestigious K43 Career Development Grant by the NIH/Fogarty International Center to support the research development of Dr. Ebiere Herbertson, Director of Pharmacy at NIMR. The grant is aimed at building Dr. Herbertson’s capacity as an emerging global leader in HIV research, with a focus on using pharmaco-epidemiological methods to enhance strategies for achieving viral suppression in HIV treatment.

A supplementary award granted in 2024 enabled the mentorship of two graduate students, specifically in HIV research in women, under Dr. Herbertson’s guidance.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Prof. Obafunwa congratulated the scholars and encouraged them to make the most of the “rare and valuable opportunity.”  He urged them to remain committed to their academic and research pursuits to meet the high expectations of the programme. The DG also expressed his gratitude to Dr. Herbertson for taking up the challenge of mentoring the scholars.