Kehinde Fajobi
Renowned virologist Professor Oyewale Tomori has raised concerns about Nigeria’s preparedness for future health crises, revealing that over 60 of the 120 laboratories established during the COVID-19 pandemic are now defunct.
Speaking on Friday during the unveiling of NIMR laboratory equipment by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare in Lagos, Tomori described the situation as a tragic failure of governance.
“We built over 120 labs, but now many are defunct. When the next epidemic strikes, we will hear again that Nigeria has only three functioning labs. This is a tragic failure of ethics, governance, and planning,” he told Vanguard.
Tomori, a former World Health Organisation (WHO) advisor, criticised the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which had once hailed the labs as a significant achievement in decentralising diagnostic capabilities.
He noted that NCDC’s website recently showed many labs as non-functional.
Tracing the closures to corruption, mismanagement, and poor planning, Tomori detailed how funds meant for state-of-the-art facilities were misappropriated.
“You give 100 naira for a lab: 50 goes to the building, 30 for equipment, and 20 for staff. But 80 gets pocketed, and a lab is built with 20. Two weeks later, the lab stops functioning,” he said.
He emphasised that consistent funding, maintenance, and skilled personnel are essential to keep laboratories operational.
However, support for these facilities dwindled once the urgency of COVID-19 subsided, leaving many without the resources needed for continued operation.
Tomori also criticised the lack of a long-term plan to integrate the labs into Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.
Without accountability mechanisms, many facilities fell into neglect, severely limiting the country’s testing capacity and disease surveillance.
“The inability to test effectively for emerging variants or other infectious diseases leaves the population vulnerable,” he warned, citing examples where Nigerians tested positive for COVID-19 abroad despite negative results in the country.
To address the issue, Tomori recommended an independent audit of funds allocated for the labs, holding those responsible for substandard facilities accountable, and prioritising the reactivation of dormant labs.
“Laboratories should have dedicated budgets to ensure continuous operation, even in non-crisis periods. This includes training programs for lab personnel to manage advanced diagnostic tools,” he stated.
Tomori urged the NCDC to provide regular updates on the status of labs and testing efforts, stressing the importance of transparent communication to rebuild public trust.
He concluded by warning of the moral failure represented by the closure of these labs.
“Ethics is the foundation of everything we do. Without it, we build labs that collapse and systems that fail. The lives of Nigerians depend on fixing this. The time for action is now — before the next health crisis strikes.”