Hope rises as World Bank Boosts Research Findings in another Nigeria University with $8M

In a determined move to boost research findings in Nigeria Universities,the world Bank in collaboration with the National Universities Commission has made available $8 million(N1, 840 000 000) to the African University of Science and Technology,which is dedicated for researches in the areas of material science.

It would be noted that the African University of Science and Technology would join other nine Nigerian Universities who have already been selected as centres of excellence and are to be funded by World Bank in areas of Science,Technology,Engineering,Mathematics,Health sciences and Agriculture.

Julius Okojie,the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission,(NUC) said the University has met all the requirements of the world bank,as he noted that the objective of the African Centres of Excellence is to promote regional specialization amongst participating universities within areas that address particular regional development concerns.

Okojie said:”When we had the issue of the dreaded Ebola virus,Redeemers University rose to the occasion and its laboratory was efficient in detecting the virus. It is currently among the centres of excellence and had got World attention on key research issues”

He explained: “When Turkey did something on material science,all their Professors abroad came back home and supported the research. We have a brand new opportunity now to be at the centre stage of research and we cannot miss it. If out of nineteen centres of excellence,10 are from Nigeria;if we don’t succeed,then there is a problem”

In his remarks,Charles Chidume,the Vice President Academics,African University of science and Technology said:”With the support of NUC in guiding us up to this level,we would not let our country down on this.

Our duty basically is to ensure that our research findings connect with the concerns of our people in solving their basic problems. We have published several journals since January,and we are currently researching at two diseases that take away the lives of our people: cancer and cardiovascular diseases”he said.

The African centres of excellence comprises of Redeemers University,Mowe, Ogun state(African centre of Excellence for Genomics of infectious diseases);African University if science and Technology,(Pan African Materials Institute):Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta(Centre for Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment);Ahmadu Bello University Zaria(Centre of Excellence on Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology).

Further in the list include: University of Jos(Phytomedicine Research and Development);University of Benin(Centre for Excellence in Reproductive Health and Innovation);University of Port-Harcourt(ACE Centre for Oil Fields Chemicals);Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife(African Centre of Excellence on ICT-Driven Knowledge Park);Bayero University,Kano(African centre of Excellence ACE in dryland agriculture);and Benue state University Makurdi(Centre for Food Technology and Research).

The African Centre of Excellence,(ACE) is a competitive regional spread across seven countries namely,Nigeria,Burkina Faso,Republic of Benin,Ghana,Cameroon,Togo and Senegal. Universities in these countries compete for slots on the projects and Nigeria won ten out of the nineteen approved centres.