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NIMR DG charges advisory board on credibility, research

By Oluwatosin Areo
14 December 2017   |   4:22 am
The Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos, Prof. Babatunde Salako, has said that funding remains the main plague to research in Nigeria...

Some members of the newly inaugurated 15-man Advisory Board of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos: Former Director General (DG) of NIMR, Prof. Oni E. Idigbe (left); Prof. Ayo MJ. Oduola; Prof. Alash’le Abimiku; current DG of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde L. Salako; DG of National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. Sani Aliyu; Prof. Martin M Meremikwu; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olajide Idris; Prof. M.B Shittu; and Alh. Abdullahi S. Yunusazazzau after their inauguration, Tuesday, in Lagos

The Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos, Prof. Babatunde Salako, has said that funding remains the main plague to research in Nigeria, just as he charged the newly appointed advisory board to harness all possible means for the institute to fulfil its mandate.

Salako, during the inauguration of the NIMR Advisory Board (NIMRAB) said the appointment of the 15-man body is to evolve innovations that are nationally relevant and globally responsive to nation building and health care development in Nigeria.

While calling on members of the board to foster healthy relationship with other key research institute, the DG added that biomedical research is capable of unravelling life mysteries and translating the nation to a greater one if properly funded and justifiably utilised.

“Although insufficient funding is the mantra in many government institutions now, we urge the advisory board to go the extra mile of collaborations and pursue the NIMR’s vision of repositioning for national health research and development.

“Result-driven efforts should be taken by actively communicating with private and public institutions for funding. Although, some of our researchers get grants from outside the country, there must be capacity development and initiate ideas that can competitively assist the organisation,” he added.

Charging the NIMRAB to maintain professional credibility, the DG said they were selected after fulfilling the required criteria, which was partly based on their contribution to science and the geopolitical zones they represent.

He said: “This is to ensure that every region of the nation is included. The board is built on people with integrity and we have a confidence that this factor alone would encourage investors to collaborate in all ways possible.”

On the need for the institute to broaden its research scope, Salako said NIMR would work with major universities in the country so as to afford its staff the opportunity to be adjunct lecturers and on the long run, professors.

This, he said would make the institute more profound for the quality of staff and research credibility that it has maintained over the years.

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