Good afternoon, Our Chief Medical Director, Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Our Premier E-I-C, Our Editorial Consultant in abscentia, other members of the advisory board, board alumni here present, The President, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and all other executives here present, noble members of the Editorial Board of Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine (AIPM), other doctors here present, ladies and gentlemen.
It gives me pleasure and a whole sense of deep humility in welcoming you all to this august occasion of commissioning of the office of the AIPM.
This occasion is a milestone in the life of our dear Journal as a product and of the Board as a people. It will not be out of place therefore in trying to get down the memory lane depicting the genesis of the edifice we are commissioning today.
THE DREAM
The conception of the AIPM was primarily borne out of the concern that most resident doctors in the country did not attach adequate importance to research and publications during their training as residents. This observation provokes the desire in 1999 to create a medium that will arose this publication consciousness and allow for dissemination of scientific findings and information. The aim of which is to groom resident doctors in the act of scientific writings and publications.
The burden that evolved then fell in our premier EIC who had to spear head not only the conception but the birth and the continuous nurturing of this idea – AIPM Journal. He has never faltered on this noble cause and for this we are celebrating him today.
THE REALITY
It is the saying of the elders that “The wisdom of sustaining a home is far more than that to build it”. It is to the glory of God that the dream of AIPM in 1999 become a reality in 2003 with the publication of the first edition then (Vol.1, No.1, November 2003). This was actually launched on the 12th of December 2003, (exactly 5yrs ago). The template that produce this journal was made up of erudite member of like minds including Dr. W. Balogun, Dr. M. Kuti, Dr. A.
Dada, Dr. O.A. Ayinde, Dr C. Eyo, Dr U. O. Eze, Dr
O. Omisanjo, Dr O. E. Amoran and Dr I. Oluwayemi. Professor S Kadiri has been and is still our Editorial Consultant.
Articles presented are of national importance and academic relevance. Since this first edition, the Board has not looked back and always strive to meet her biannual publication schedule.
THE ACHIEVEMENTS
Since the inception of the Board and the Journal, we’ve maintain a consistency in publication schedule. This has not only promote our publishers (ARD) image alone but that of our Noble Premier Institution – the University College Hospital, Ibadan as an entity.
Within the period of existence, we’ve been able to:
- get indexed on African Journal Online
- indexed on African Indexed Medicus
- organized in-house seminar for Board members on the art of scientific writings and publications in May 2007.
- Develop and operate our own website: www.aipm.org.ng linked to our indexed portals. This has increased our visibility as well as our authorship
- Secure our Operation office, which we are commissioning today
- Securing intercom facilities recently.
No tree can make a forest, our humble achievements can never be complete without mentioning the role which our Management and publishers has performed towards making the Board and Journal a reality out of a dream.