Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akinola Abayomi, yesterday expressed the state government’s readiness to collaborate with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, for medical research that will deepen the government’s health agenda.

He said this yesterday during the opening ceremony of the two-day NIMR International Conference on Health Advances, Innovation and Research (NIMRICHAIR), an international gathering of Biomedical Professionals in Lagos.

Abayomi, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the institute and other medical research institutions should conduct and focus on medical research that would have significant and direct impact on the people and society, and that could translate to policy formulation.

He said: “Funding and taking our research product, specimen or data analysis abroad for analysis has to stop. We should collaborate to take our research and data to a high level.

“We waste significant resources on this, but what we need is significant and impactful research for our medical improvement.” Prof Akin Osibogun of the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL)/Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) delivered the keynote address.

The Director-General Oladapo Obafunwa said the institute was ready to renew its relationship with the Lagos State Government to take advantage of such collaboration and synergy for improved medical and health sector.