THE National Universities Commission (NUC) has commended no fewer than 32 universities that have been involved in various COVID-19 researches.
Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary, of NUC made this known in Abuja on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the contribution of the Nigerian University System in mitigating the impact of Covid-19.
He disclosed that the research which was in different stages was aimed towards addressing direct and collateral impacts of COVID-19.
“As at June 22, not less than 32 universities are involved in different stages of research aimed at galvanising research towards the development of vaccines and non vaccines for COVID-19,” he said.
He stated that the pandemic has challenged many countries to embrace robust research and innovation work.
“As in many other parts of the world, the pandemic has challenged our knowledge system, which has proved inadequate and insufficiently robust enough to respond to the challenges.
“Only few institutions have been able to utilise open and distance learning system to keep students engaged while the pandemic lasted and only few laboratories continued with research and development activities.
”Nonetheless, the few who engaged in research and innovation work have demonstrated the need for a well-funded and robustly organised national research and innovation system to catalyse the national response,” he said.
Rasheed added that in the area of Genomic research, the African Centres of Excellence (ACE), particularly the Centre for the Genomics of Infectious Diseases at the Redeemer’s University, Ede was collaborating with the University of Cambridge for the development of vaccines.
He said that other ACEs in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Universities of Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt and Jos, which served as national testing and screening centres had proved that world-class research and development was possible in Nigeria.
He, however, added that the country’s university system could be readily effective and relevant to national development if research was valued and adequately funded and the institutions provided with resources to motivate researchers and innovators including students.
On the current efforts of herbal remedies, Rasheed said the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari on herbal and natural products development was acknowledged, following the great demonstration of enviable political leadership by the President of Madagascar.
“Such will go a long way to motivate homegrown developments and innovation in science and technology by the NUC, including anti-COVID-19 human immunity-boosting foods.
“Furthermore, Nigeria needs to develop homegrown capabilities in the production and manufacture of the most basic medical and pharmaceutical products such as PPEs, WASH accessories, and ventilators.
” Limited developments are reported from the few ongoing research, but these give some hope that the NUC can provide the R&D base for responding to these needs and much needed structural reconfiguration of the economy.
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via [email protected]. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.