September 28, 2023, marked a significant milestone, as HJF Medical Research International Ltd/Gte. (HJFMRI Ltd/Gte.) celebrated the grand opening of its new office in Abuja, Nigeria. The new facility named, the Health Innovations Centre (HIC) is situated in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
As part of activities marking the official opening of the facility, HJFMRL Ltd/Gte put together a sign unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was attended by the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc. (HJF), Dr. Joseph Caravalho, and the Vice President of HJF Global Infectious Diseases Research, Dr. Sandhya Vasan.
The event was also attended by top partners and stakeholders including the Director General, Nigeria Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme (NMOD-HIP), Brig. Gen. Nathan Okeji (Rtd), the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Director, Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, the PEPFAR Country Coordinator, Funmi Adesanya amongst others.
Speaking at the event, the HJF President and CEO, Dr. Caravalho noted that the Health Innovations Center signifies the organization’s commitment to advancing medical research aimed at improving health and saving lives in Nigeria, in Africa and across the world.
Also speaking, the Director General, NMOD-HIP, Brig. Gen. Nathan Okeji appreciated HJFMRI Ltd/Gte for the robust support given to the Nigerian Defence Ministry through the partnership with the U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Nigeria. He also acknowledged the accomplishments of the U.S.-Nigeria military collaboration, including the establishment of the state-of-the-art Defence Reference Laboratory, the only internationally accredited multi-specialty clinical laboratory in West Africa.
The new office complex will serve as a hub for a wide variety of HJFMRI Ltd/Gte. programs in partnership with the U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Nigeria (USAMRD-A/N), the Nigeria Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme (NMOD-HIP) and other partners.
In a related development, the HJF President and CEO, Dr. Caravalho during his visit to Nigeria met with the Director General and the senior management team of the Nigeria Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme and discussed ways to further collaborate to advance military healthcare in Nigeria. He also toured the Nigeria Defence Reference Laboratory, the Bridgestone Warehouse, and had an all-hands meeting with the HJFMRI Ltd/Gte team. At the all-hands meeting, long-term service awards were presented to members of the team who have worked with the organization for five, ten and fifteen years.