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Fashola, others target N10b to enable NIMR Foundation promote innovation, commercialise research, development

By Abigail Ikhaghu
11 November 2021   |   1:53 am
Chairman Board of Trustees, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos, Foundation and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has assured Nigerians that the foundation ...

Fashola. Photo/FACEBOOK/ Governor-Douye-Diri-is-Working

Chairman Board of Trustees, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos, Foundation and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has assured Nigerians that the foundation will meet it strategic objective for the period of 2021 through 2025, which is to promote innovation and commercialisation of research and development outputs from the institute and other partner academic and research institutions, to also building robust organisational capacity for sustainable management of resources and delivery of impact.

Fashola, at the official inauguration and fund raising dinner of NIMR Foundation, said: “The budget for this Foundation is 10billion. I am very sure that if we can raise the N10 billion that has been set out to raise then NIMR will be able to achieve the mission of her founders. We are not the founders of NIMR but we are the touch bearers to carry on their good works and to propagate their mission.”

Fashola said that all the board members agreed to serve in a voluntary capacity. He revealed that the foundation has been registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on February 4, 2020 and a constitution and code of governance had been created to provide solid integrity and oversee the affairs of the foundation.

The fund raising exercise saw hearty donations from the public and private sectors of the country. The minister said NIMR Foundation is a private, not for profit organisation, which has the mandate to build and expand capacity for translation research among career investigators and promote innovation, development and commercialisation of home grown medicines, vaccines and technologies to address the health problems of Nigeria in particular, and Africa at large.

Director General, NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako, while delivering his address, said: “NIMR Foundation will primarily fund research based on postgraduate degree programmes of selected junior and mid-level researchers across private and public academic, training and research institutions in Nigeria.

“All Nigerians across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory are eligible to apply for the programmes of the Foundation. All research works will be in the area of national research agenda and priorities, the foundation will also ensure gender sensitivity and representation across the spectrum of the geo-political zones in all its programmes and emphasise same in its reporting.”

Salako said the trustees of this foundation are very popular people and they all have track records verifiable in both professional and public life.

The DG appealed to the general public to support NIMR foundation very robustly as the dividend that will accrue from it will be of tremendous benefit to all Nigerians.

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