President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR).
In a statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the appointment will take effect on July 24, 2024, following the expiration of Professor Babatunde Salako’s tenure on July 23, 2024.
The president expressed his gratitude to Professor Salako for his dedicated service to the nation during his term.
Professor Obafunwa is a distinguished academic and medical professional with a robust career spanning several decades. He earned his medical degree from the University of Lagos in 1980 and later specialized in Anatomic Pathology in 1987.
Furthering his expertise, he specialized in Forensic Pathology in Scotland in 1991 and acquired a law degree from England in 2004. His professional membership’s include various esteemed bodies in the UK, USA, and Nigeria.
His international experience includes working in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the UK before returning to Nigeria in 2004 as a Professor of Forensic Pathology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
He has held significant roles such as the Provost of LASUCOM, Chief Medical Examiner for Lagos State, and Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University. Most recently, he served as the International Regional Advisor of the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor Obafunwa has an extensive portfolio of scientific publications and has contributed to numerous textbooks. His research interests cover anatomic and forensic pathology, with ongoing research in forensic entomology and taphonomy at the University of Nebraska, USA.
Tinubu expressed confidence that Professor Obafunwa’s extensive experience and qualifications will significantly advance NIMR‘s mission.
The President further emphasized the importance of leading research into public health diseases, developing research dissemination structures, and enhancing health research and training in collaboration with federal and state health ministries.
