President Bola Tinubu has authorized the appointment of Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR).
Professor Obafunwa is succeeding Professor Babatunde Salako, whose term ends on July 23, 2024. According to a statement from Presidential spokesman Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the appointment will be effective starting July 24, 2024.
The statement said that President Tinubu expressed his gratitude to Professor Salako for his service to the nation.
Professor Obafunwa graduated in medicine from the University of Lagos in 1980 and specialized in Anatomic Pathology (the morphological study of diseases) in May 1987.
He went further to specialize in Forensic Pathology in Scotland in 1991 and earned a law degree from England in 2004.
He possesses several additional academic qualifications and is a member of different professional organizations in the UK, USA, and Nigeria.
He worked in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the UK before returning to Nigeria in November 2004 to become a Professor of Forensic Pathology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
He previously served as the provost of LASUCOM, the Chief Medical Examiner for Lagos State, and the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University.
Prior to his present appointment, he was the International Regional Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa for the Royal College of Pathologists (UK).
He has written numerous scientific papers and contributed chapters to textbooks. His research includes anatomic and forensic pathology, and he is presently engaged in forensic entomology and taphonomy research at the University of Nebraska, USA.
The President anticipates that the new Director-General will leverage his extensive experience and qualifications to advance NIMR’s mission of leading research on significant public health diseases in Nigeria. He is also expected to develop frameworks for disseminating research findings and provide a conducive environment and facilities for health research and training in collaboration with federal and state health ministries, the statement stated.
