Lagos earmarks N200m to fund indigenous health research

*Prof. Akin Abayomi, Commissioner for Health, affirms that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has released N200 million for the purpose of funding and promoting indigenous local research in the healthcare sector of the metropolitan state

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has disclosed it is committing N200 million to fund indigenous research in the healthcare sector.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Honourable Commissioner for Health, said this Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in Lagos, at the ongoing 2022 Annual International Conference on Health Advances, Innovation and Research (ICHAIR).

ConsumerConnect reports the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) organised the conference. ICHAIR is a meeting for bio-medical professionals and stakeholders in Nigeria and overseas.

The Commissioner noted: “Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given us N200 million, and it is for the purpose of funding indigenous local research in the state.

“We are presently going through the applications submitted so we can shortlist the applicants while the winners for the grant will be announced next month.”

Prof. Abayomi stated: “This will trigger the process for research, innovations and medical advances in health.

“The governor also funded COVID-19 research to the tune of N300 million and this research has resulted in 40 journal articles and were made possible through partnership with various health institutions such as NIMR.”

According to him, plans are underway to create an intellectual property desk in the state.

He also said: “We are working on an intellectual property desk because it is necessary for our researchers to understand how important their intellectual work is.”

Abayomi, therefore, urged Nigerian researchers to undertake researches that will proffer solutions to issues that peculiar to the West African country.