Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) is the apex medical research organisation saddled with the responsibility of conducting research into diseases of public health importance.

This oldest research Institute, dating back to the arrival at Yaba of the British Yellow Fever Commission in the 1920 has over the years made tremendous contributions to the health betterment of Nigerians with its cutting-edge medical researches.

The Institute which began as an affiliate of the Medical Research Council, United Kingdom, metamorphosed from the West African Council of Medical Research to Medical Research Council of Nigeria in 1960, National Institute for Medical Research in 1977 to its current status in 1993 has indeed come a long way in providing medical road maps for this country.

For instance, in recent years, NIMR made significant contributions in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic by inventing among other things, two COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test kits which were presented to the public. The Institute was also responsible for the genetic sequencing of the index COVID-19 case that earned the country international commendation.

It is too soon to forget that NIMR has been addressing diseases including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis(TB), malaria, hepatitis and other communicable and non-communicable diseases, just as its tuberculosis programmed has managed cumulatively more than 7,000. The Institute has never rested on its oars as it continues to collaborate, innovate and strategize towards improving the health profile of the nation with its ceaseless research efforts.

However, despite its enviable achievements, the Director General and NIMER Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Babatunded Lawal Salako is not happy. Why? One may ask! Prof Salako is not happy because certain controllable variables including power play, ego, and bureaucratic bottleneck are seriously affecting the operations of the Institute he passionately loves. He is no longer ready to be euphemistic about the situation in the Institute which observers confess that he has laboured too hard to uplift.

Hear the NIMR DG: “We are in dire need of people. Researchers are retiring. We have done everything that is needed to be done. We have written through the Ministry of Health to the Head of Service. The Ministry has written on our behalf. What we get told is that there is no money. The question to ask is where does the money go? Before these people retired, they were earning salaries. How come when they retire, we cannot replace them? The money should remain in the system. We have been on this for many years now”.

Prof. Salako further shares his frustration saying, “We are not talking of recruitment, we are saying replace those who are retiring. It seems like some individuals within the Ministry have decided to make themselves so powerful at the expense of the health of our people. If the processes are seamless, there is no way why we cannot recruit people. We are not asking government to give us more money. We are saying replace those retiring and you are saying “no money”. That is the most painful challenge I have here!”

The soft-spoken NIMR DG who pleads with the government to urgently look into the challenges of the Institute argues that if the government gives us those establishment positions, “we can bring in more money into NIMR, and directly or indirectly, we can help employ people who are just leaving universities”.

Funding research, according to Prof. Salako “is an indirect way of employment. We need more people here. We are very busy here with so much to do. But we are short-staffed. People here are really over working themselves as a result of shortage of manpower. If we are really serious about the health of the nation, there is no reason the government will not quickly accede to our request. Health is important. Health is wealth. The well-being of the people is not something we should play politics with”.

Giving insights into the activities of the Institute, Prof. Salako who is on his second tenure cites “Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin on Children 1-11 months in Nigeria (SARMAAN) sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation in which the Institute is looking at how we can reduce under-5 mortality in Nigeria, using mass administration of Antibiotics and also checking for safety and microbial resistance. He says it is something that can bring up new policies in health and can reduce children’s mortality.

Prof. Salako explains that although COVID-19 has gone, the Institute is looking at smaller doses of vaccines to see how that can improve herd immunity compared to recommended doses by manufacturers themselves. His words: “We are thinking of the economic impact of purchasing the vaccines from Nigeria by over 200 million people. It will make it possible for us to vaccinate people and reduce the spread of COVID-19 for example.

Again, NIMER “is looking at improvement in Human Papilloma (HP) virus vaccination against organisms that cause cervical cancer. We are working at self-test. Cervical cancer kills a lot of our women and it is a disease that can be prevented almost 100 percent. We have done the same thing for HIV because of the stigma that is attached, so that detection rate can be increased. People can self-test and start to approach hospitals on their own” the DG announces.

Prof. Salako discloses that the Institute has recently established a clinical trial, where drugs and devices are tested to establish efficacy of a drug or device in people, if we are going to approve the drug or device for use in the country. Much more, NIMR is working on Biobanking, which is to manage and track biological samples collected within the framework of protocols, studies, clinical trials and cohort in order to ensure from biological samples to precision medicine for patients.

Prof. Salako hints, “We are seriously working on vaccine development. This was not very common with us before. But since COVID came, there are many Nigerian institutions that are trying their hands on vaccine development”, he adds.

While acknowledging the fact that medical research cannot solely be funded by government alone, the NIMER boss expresses appreciation to the Institute’s Private Sector Participation Foundation members, including a one-time Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fasola, the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II, retired broadcaster, Chief Mrs. Moji Makanjuola, National Merit Award Winner, Prof Oye Gureje and former DG NIMR, Prof Oni Idigbe who are assisting NIMR to raise money.

Prof. Salako urges government to look at electricity bill for research institutes, universities, and hospitals pointing out that electricity is the number one factor in optimal research performance. He recalls that “when the national grid collapsed, we lost many of our reagents because we could not buy diesel for our back up. Government can subsidize electricity for the research institutes, hospitals and universities” he advises.

Prof. Salako is in the bracket of the best medical researchers in Nigeria, coming from the University of Ibadan as the former provost of College of Medicine. His wealth of knowledge and experience has moulded him into a titan of propriety in public service. His achievements as NIMR DG eloquently testify to his patriotism and passion for the best health care delivery in the country.

At the NIMR, where he has been superintending with regal ease, people admire him so much. Not because of the virtue of the office, but because of the virtues he brings to the office.

Interestingly, today July 23rd is his birthday, having been born on July 23rd, 1959. A happy birthday sir, Prof. Many more years of quality service to humanity.
Saanu(08034073427) is with the University of Ibadan; Email: [email protected]