ASURI Threatens NIMR Shutdown Over 8-Year Retirement Rule for Research Professors

A fresh labour dispute is brewing at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), as the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) threatens to shut down the institute over the planned retirement and eviction of research professors who have served eight years as directors.

The union is challenging the position of NIMR Director-General, Professor John Obafunwa, who insists that the Federal Government’s eight-year tenure rule for directors applies to Academic/Research Professors. ASURI argues that research professors should be treated like their university counterparts and allowed to remain in service until they reach 65 years or complete 40 years of pensionable service.

At the centre of the dispute are directives issued by NIMR requiring affected research professors to hand over government property and vacate their offices and official apartments by August 31, 2026. The union says the directive contradicts previous government positions and court decisions on the issue.

ASURI National Secretary, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, said the union had previously engaged the Ministry of Labour and government representatives over the matter. He claimed that other issues involving NIMR were resolved during reconciliation talks, but the retirement of research professors remained unresolved.

Ndubuaku cited a recent ruling by the National Industrial Court, which struck down the application of the eight-year retirement rule to teachers and education officers covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022. He also referred to a 2014 National Industrial Court judgment involving Dr Soibi Dede, which held that a research academic staff member at NOTAP was not affected by the eight-year tenure policy and could remain in service until age 65.

ASURI maintains that serving as a director is an appointment rather than a permanent rank for research professors. The union argues that after completing a directorate appointment, an Academic/Research Professor should return to their substantive research position, provided they have not reached the statutory retirement age or completed the required years of service.

The dispute escalated after NIMR issued a letter dated August 7, directing some affected professors to surrender government properties and leave their offices and apartments by August 31. Ndubuaku said the union had been advised by the Ministry of Labour to return to the National Industrial Court and warned that ASURI could shut down NIMR if the directive is not withdrawn.

“We have written a letter to the Ministry of Health, and if the NIMR DG does not want to be cautious, we will lock down NIMR on August 31,” Ndubuaku said.

He also criticised the decision to ask researchers to leave their official accommodation while the dispute over their retirement status remains unresolved. He argued that affected researchers should at least be given time to receive their retirement benefits and make alternative housing arrangements.

Professor Obafunwa, however, denied that there was any crisis at NIMR. When contacted, he said, “At this point in time, I can tell you that there are no issues at NIMR. Everybody is at work, so there are no issues.” He directed further questions to a rejoinder published in the August 22 edition of Saturday Vanguard, saying it contained answers to the issues raised. When asked whether the position in the rejoinder represented his own views, he confirmed that it did.