NIMR DG tells research professors to vacate by Aug 31 amid dispute

NIMR Director-General Professor John Obafunwa issued a notice on August 7, 2026 directing research professors who have served eight years as directors to hand over all government properties and vacate their offices and apartments by August 31, 2026, citing an eight-year tenure retirement policy. The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) says the policy does not apply to academic/research professors, pointing to a July 10, 2026 National Industrial Court ruling by Justice Olufunke Anuwe that declared the eight-year rule illegal for teachers and education officers under the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, and a perpetual injunction against its implementation. ASURI’s National Secretary, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, warned that if the DG does not withdraw the notice, the union will lock down NIMR on August 31, calling the action wicked and a threat to Nigeria’s research ecosystem. The DG denied any issues, referring readers to a Saturday Vanguard rejoinder of August 22 for his side. The dispute risks disrupting research programmes, forcing premature retirement of specialists, and eroding institutional memory at Nigeria’s foremost medical research institute.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/27/nimr-boils-over-8-year-retirement-policy-for-research-professors/