Tinubu appoints John Obafunwa NIMR boss

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor John Obafunwa as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, with effect from July 24, 2024.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated this in a statement titled “President Tinubu appoints new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research” on Monday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Professor Obafunwa succeeds Professor Babatunde Salako, whose tenure expires on July 23, 2024.

The President also extended his appreciation to the outgoing DG for his service to the nation and wished him well in his future endeavours.

The statement added, “The President expects the new Director-General to bring his immense wealth of experience and qualifications to bear in this role to further drive the NIMR’s objective of leading research into diseases of public health importance in Nigeria.

“The President expects him to develop structures for the dissemination of research findings while providing the enabling environment and facilities for health research and training in cooperation with the federal and state ministries of health.”

Profile of Obafunwa

Obafunwa qualified in medicine from the University of Lagos in 1980, following which he specialized in Anatomic Pathology (morphological study of diseases), graduating in May 1987.

He later sub-specialized in Forensic Pathology in Scotland in 1991 and obtained a law degree from England in 2004. He has a number of other academic qualifications and holds membership in various professional bodies in the UK, USA, and Nigeria.

Obafunwa had worked in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the UK before returning to Nigeria in November 2004 to take up an appointment as a Professor of Forensic Pathology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine.

He is a former provost of LASUCOM, Chief Medical Examiner for Lagos State, and former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University. Before his appointment, he was the International Regional Advisor of the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Obafunwa has authored several scientific publications and contributed chapters to textbooks. His research spans anatomic and forensic pathology, and he is currently involved in research in forensic entomology and taphonomy at the University of Nebraska, USA.