The National Universities Commission
(NUC) on Thursday commended the Redeemer’s
University, Ede, Ogun State, for its contributions
toward the diagnosis of Ebola virus.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius
Okojie, made the commendation at the signing of
Performance Contract between NUC, World Bank
and 10 Nigerian Africa Centres of Excellence
(ACE) in Abuja.

Redeemer’s University, a centre of excellence,
developed a rapid response diagnostics test that
can detect Ebola virus in 15 minutes.

Okojie said that ACE’s project was instituted in
2013 by the governments of Burkina Faso, Benin
Republic, Ghana, Cameron, Nigeria, Togo and
Senegal with support from World Bank.

“Redeemer’s university had a very unique project
in Ebola research when the virus came on board
and they responded very quickly to the challenge
Ebola; we are still celebrating our success.

“Following a competitive process, 19 Centres of
Excellence emerged from the West and Central
African sub regions, out of which Nigerian
universities won 10.

“The ACE project has the capacity to transform
the economic landscape of the sub-region, only if
we can look inward and come up with innovations
that can address our common problems,’’ he said.
Okojie said that the project was initiated to
promote regional specialisation among
universities in the participating countries within
the West and Central Africa to deliver high quality
training and applied research.

Speaking, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Minister
of Education, disclosed that the World Bank
assisted project sought to promote research in
Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics.

Shekarau said that the signing of the
performance contract was the last hurdle toward
making ACE effective in Nigeria.

“NUC will work with the World Bank in the coming
days to release 10 per cent of your approved funds
to enable you commence work on your projects
activities.

“We are in an era where our lives are, to a great
extent, defined by the innovations in the world of
technology.

“I, therefore, challenge you to be focused and
innovative because the challenges facing us
nationally and regionally are enormous and you
are looked upon to provide solutions,’’ he said.
On his part, a representative of the World Bank,
Mr Bayo Awosemusi, said that the process of
selecting the universities for the project was
transparent and fair.

He said that all universities were given the
opportunity to submit proposals after which a
rigorous screening was carried out.

He urged the participating universities to utlilise
the opportunity maximally as it was the first of
its kind in the world that the bank was embarking
on a massive regional intervention.

The Nigerian ACE universities that signed the
contract were African University of Science and
Technology, Abuja, University of Port Harcourt,
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and
Redeemer’s University, Ede, Ogun State.

Others were Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
University of Jos, University of Benin, Bayero
University, Kano, Benue State University and
Federal University of Agrculture, Abeokuta.
(NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/nuc-lauds-redeemers-varsity-for-ebola-diagnosis/