The College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, has unveiled a strategy to reposition the Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT) as a leading African centre for medical research, innovation and postgraduate training, with governance reforms, stronger collaboration and improved funding at the heart of the initiative.
The roadmap was presented on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day organisational review and repositioning retreat themed, “Re-Align, Re-Energize, Re-Position,” held at the University of Ibadan’s Digital Park in Oyo State. The gathering brought together university management, former provosts, directors of research institutes, medical researchers, policymakers, development partners and alumni to map out the institute’s future direction.
Director of IAMRAT, Prof. Ike Ajayi, said the institute must evolve in response to changes in global medical research if it is to sustain its relevance and contribute more effectively to addressing Nigeria’s healthcare challenges.
Although the institute has recorded achievements in malaria, infectious diseases, neuroscience, genetics, molecular medicine, epidemiology, environmental health and public health research, she said institutional reforms have become necessary.
“Advances in science, evolving funding models and increasing expectations for accountability demand a stronger governance structure capable of sustaining research excellence and attracting international partnerships.”
Ajayi said the retreat would assess the institute’s 2021–2025 strategic plan, compare its operations with leading research institutions across Africa and identify practical measures to strengthen governance, improve communication, mobilise resources and promote interdisciplinary collaboration.
She said, “The research landscape has changed. Collaboration is now multidisciplinary and global, funding mechanisms have evolved, and expectations of accountability and impact are much higher.
“The question before us is whether IAMRAT is positioned for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges. Governance reform is therefore central to this retreat because without a modern administrative framework, progress in research, training and innovation cannot be sustained.”
She added, “We seek to build an institute that is strategically focused, globally competitive, financially sustainable, transparent, collaborative and responsive to Nigeria’s health priorities. Transformation requires courage, innovation and a shared commitment to excellence.”
Delivering the keynote address, former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and former Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Babatunde Salako, said Nigeria needed greater investment in research and innovation to achieve meaningful improvements in healthcare.
He identified inadequate funding, limited infrastructure, shortage of dedicated researchers and fragmented research efforts as major constraints to the institute’s growth.
“IAMRAT was never intended to be just another research centre conducting routine studies. It was created to be a hub of innovation and a bridge between academia, healthcare and society, where research transforms into cures, training shapes leaders and service uplifts communities,” he said.
Salako advocated expanding the institute’s malaria research programme into a broader infectious disease hub covering tuberculosis, HIV, Lassa fever and emerging viral diseases. He also called for increased investment in cancer research, genomics, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neuroscience and precision medicine, while proposing the administrative integration of research institutes within the College of Medicine under IAMRAT to eliminate duplication, improve efficiency and strengthen funding opportunities.
“Every experiment we conduct and every dataset we analyse must carry the potential to improve healthcare delivery, influence public policy and save lives,” he said.
Also speaking, Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Temidayo Ogundiran, said the retreat provided an opportunity for critical institutional reflection, stressing that research institutions should subject themselves to the same level of scrutiny expected in scientific investigations.
“Research itself teaches us that progress begins with the willingness to ask whether there is a better way. Institutions that support research should examine themselves with the same honesty they expect from the scientific process,” Ogundiran said.
He urged participants to move beyond identifying challenges to implementing reforms, adding, “Years from now, very few people will remember the presentations made at this retreat, but the decisions taken here and our commitment to implementing them will shape this institution long after this event has ended.”
Declaring the retreat open on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Peter Olapegba, said IAMRAT remained central to the university’s vision of becoming a globally recognised research-driven institution.
He noted that the institute’s contributions to malaria research, molecular biology, genetics and biomedical sciences had enhanced the university’s international profile.
“The landscape of global health is changing rapidly. We must realign our strengths, refocus our priorities, re-energise our workforce and reposition IAMRAT to lead scientific discovery from Africa rather than merely participate in it,” he said.
