Revert NIMR to research council, DG urges government
By Kemi Akintokun
Prof. Babatunde Salako, Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), on Wednesday urged government to revert the institute to a research council, to enhance medical research in the country.
Salako, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the sidelines of the ongoing retreat organised by NIMR, said the institute acted as a research council in the 70’s.
He noted that efforts to attract adequate funding for health research in the country had yet to yield significant result, hence the need to have a research council like other advanced countries.
“Presently, the government is saddled with issues like security and the economy but in all of these, for a nation to develop, it must fund research because it is one of the major contributors to human development and economy prosperity.
“The establishment of a medical research council will serve as a funding agency for research and come as a direct funding from the government.
“We are not asking government to establish a new agency, we are asking that NIMR, which has acted as a council before and funded research in the 70’s should be reverted to that position.
“This will enable researchers in the university and research institutes to have an agency they can approach to fund research in area of national priorities and policies to address the nation’s poor health indices,” he said.
According to the director-general, there is currently a bill before the Senate as regarding the establishment of the research council.
“We are hopeful for a positive outcome.
”The bill on the establishment of the council has passed the house and is currently in the senate and we are hopeful that it will be an important milestone for this present government to ensure the establishment,” he said. (NAN)
Edited by Edith Bolokor/Chioma Ugboma
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