The crisis at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has intensified following allegations that its Director-General, Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa, is pushing to retire three research directors after eight years in office despite objections from the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI).
The union accused Obafunwa of disregarding efforts to resolve the dispute and continuing to pressure the affected directors to vacate their official residences and surrender government property.
ASURI’s National Secretary, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, said the dispute centres on the Federal Government’s eight-year tenure policy for directors, which the union argues should not apply to research professors and chief research fellows.
Ndubuaku explained that the controversy began after the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation failed to issue a circular expressly exempting research institutions from the policy.
According to him, the NIMR management subsequently issued a notice dated August 7, 2026, directing three affected directors to hand over government property and vacate their official quarters by August 31.
A reminder issued on October 19 reportedly directed them to comply immediately or face administrative action.
The union also alleged that the directors’ salaries had been stopped and their official email accounts interfered with. These allegations have not been independently verified.
ASURI maintains that research professors should enjoy retirement protections similar to those applicable to academic staff in universities. It cited a July 10, 2026, ruling by the National Industrial Court, which nullified the eight-year retirement policy as it applied to teachers and education officers covered by the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022.
However, the judgment concerned teachers and education officers and did not specifically determine the retirement status of research professors at NIMR.
Ndubuaku said the union had contacted its lawyers and was considering returning to the Industrial Court over the latest directives. He warned that ASURI could embark on industrial action if the dispute remained unresolved.
He also alleged that the NIMR management had ignored reconciliation efforts involving the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, who had urged the Director-General to allow the affected officials to remain in their residences pending the resolution of the dispute.
Reacting to the allegations, Obafunwa denied having any dispute with the directors and referred enquiries to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health.
He also declined to comment directly on allegations that the directors’ salaries had been stopped and their official email accounts suspended.
The dispute has raised concerns about the implications of the eight-year tenure policy for research institutions, particularly its potential impact on specialized research, institutional experience, and ongoing programs.
