…Researchers halt lab work, unions divided as management insists it is enforcing federal directive
By Juliet Umeh
A major disruption has gripped the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Lagos after researchers embarked on an indefinite strike, escalating a dispute over leadership policies, staff welfare and control over research activities.
The industrial action, which began midweek, has effectively paralysed laboratory work at the institute, though administrative operations and patient services continue, according to officials and unions.
At the centre of the standoff is the implementation of the federal government’s eight-year tenure policy for directors, a move that has triggered a confrontation between the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) and NIMR management.
ASURI, in a notice announcing the strike and planned picketing, accused NIMR Director-General John Obafunwa of undermining industrial harmony and targeting senior researchers.
The union described the issuance of retirement letters to research directors as “a direct betrayal” and warned of what it called “an unconscionable plot” that could leave affected scientists without livelihoods.
It also alleged a breakdown in governance structures within the institute, claiming that key academic decision-making processes had been sidelined.
NIMR management, however, rejected the accusations, saying it was acting in line with directives from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health.
“The strike affects only researchers. Other staff are working. The premises are calm, but laboratories are inactive,” said media consultant Sam Eferaro.
He added that only three directors were affected by the tenure policy and denied claims that they had been evicted from official residences.
Meanwhile, other unions at the institute, including the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), have distanced themselves from the strike.
Leaders of both unions said they had received no directive from their national bodies to join the action and confirmed that their members remained at work.
“Services are ongoing and patients continue to receive care,” said SSAUTHRIAI branch chairman Dennis Abuh, adding that any planned picketing would not disrupt access to the institute.
Beyond the tenure dispute, however, deeper grievances appear to be fuelling the crisis.
Researchers allege increasing administrative control over core scientific work, including requirements to obtain prior approval from the Director-General before applying for grants, a process they say has led to missed funding opportunities.
They also cited restrictions on international collaborations, delays in approvals for conferences and training, and financial deductions from research grants as factors undermining productivity.
According to a senior ASURI source, communication with funders is tightly controlled, sometimes prompting complaints from partners and raising fears of withdrawn support.
The union argues that these measures, combined with rigid working-hour policies and limited academic representation in decision-making, are eroding morale and weakening the institute’s research output.
Government documents show that ministries and agencies have been directed to strictly enforce the eight-year tenure rule, with sanctions for non-compliance.
But ASURI maintains that the policy should not override existing conditions of service for research personnel, including a retirement age of 65, insisting the matter had already been resolved for the sector.
With both sides holding firm, the dispute risks escalating further, potentially prolonging disruptions to critical medical research.
For now, while offices remain open and patients are attended to, the silence in NIMR’s laboratories underscores a deepening conflict over autonomy, governance and the future of scientific research in Nigeria.