Mr Obafunwa succeeds Babatunde Salako, a professor whose tenure expires on 23 July.

The appointment takes effect from 24 July.

President Tinubu thanked Mr Salako for his service to the nation.

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

He later sub-specialised in Forensic Pathology in Scotland (1991) and obtained a law degree from England (2004).

He has several other academic qualifications and holds membership in various professional bodies in the UK, USA, and Nigeria.

He had worked in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the UK before returning to Nigeria in November 2004 to take up an appointment as professor of Forensic Pathology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).

Mr Obafunwa 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.

He 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.

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 and developing 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.

This is in furtherance of its commitment to partnering with relevant institutions in fostering health research in Nigeria.

Delegation from the MTN Foundation included Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs Aishatu Sadauki; Director, MTN Foundation, Hon. Reginald Okeya; Director, MTN Foundation, Mr Dennis Okoro; and Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya.

They were received by the Director-General, NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako and Director of Administration, NIMR, Abdullahi Yunusazazzau

Key areas of discussion include progress report on the synthesised Oligonucleotides, sustainability plans, applications in vaccine and drug development, and health development initiatives that seek to position Nigeria as the centre of health innovation in the continent.

Mr Dennis Okoro, the Director, MTN Foundation, reiterated MTN’s commitment to supporting public developmental initiatives.

He said, “At the core of what we do is collaborating with public and private sector partners to provide solutions that alleviate some of the pressing issues facing our society. We embarked on this project with the goal of improving the quality of life of Nigerians.

We are happy to have collaborated with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in establishing the Oligo Synthesis laboratory.

This partnership will go a long way in the area of medical development in Nigeria as well as make provision for supportive infrastructure and environments for healthcare research and training.”

In his response, the Director-General, NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako said, “Our gathering is indicative of what can be achieved through collaborative efforts. The Oligo-Synthesis machine provided by the MTN Foundation is already making science easy for scientists, as it reduces the time spent on research.

And now that we have perfected the production of primers, in the next few weeks, we will open our market to the world. We applaud MTN for highlighting the expertise of Nigerian researchers in medical diagnostics and creation of experimental vaccines.’’

In August 2021, MTN Nigeria through its foundation donated Oligo-synthesizer equipment to the NIMR to aid the local development of primers for indigenous production of test kits for COVID-19 and other diseases.