I just had to reply to this thread because of the anger I felt after reading what the OP had to say...

https://www.nairaland.com/5810258/covid-19-microbiology-biochemistry-lecturers-students?iorg_service_id_internal=1646953538912597%3BAfpt3gn3piWujwcA

Some of you like our president and his equally ill informed education minister with his e-learning directive (what a joke) will just make very silly statements....

Personal experience...
My area of research is drug discovery and I have been working on therapeutic peptides for quite a while. During my MSc, it took me 2 years to isolate a compound all because there were no laboratories and basic lab equipment to work with. It got so bad that I had to finally send my samples to Brazil to complete the project (the drama I passed through to get my samples there is a story for another day; nobody trusts Nigerians anymore). We had to cut out about 40% of the initial design for lack of research facilities and even at that, our total expenditure exceeded a million naira (luckily, we had a grant).

Discoveries takes time and costs money. Information is power! We don't have proper libraries. Data is super expensive and worst of all, power supply is non existent. I remember working on a very unstable compound and needed uninterrupted power for at least 6 hours...guess what, we had to abandon that experiment after a couple of trials.

I can authoritatively say that not a single University in Nigeria can successfully culture cell lines or possess protein/DNA sequencing equipment or a high resolution microscope like a confocal microscope or even laboratories that can handle biohazardous materials, particles or organisms and someone here is talking about finding a cure to a novel and highly infectious disease. Even if by some miracle we come up with a cure, we don't have the capacity to carry out clinical trials.

I guess some of you think that finding the cure to a disease is as simple as mastercraft cooking up the beats to a Davido's hit song.

Nigerians only value entertainment which explains why Mercy walked away with a 100 million last year for showcasing zero talent and silicone implants. Brands only identify with sectors of public interest.
A country is only as good as its values so leave ASUU and Nigerian scientists out of this as we are all to blame.

Lalasticala, mynd44 Nigerians need to know these facts.

Fact. It's only in Nigeria that an overall best graduating student will receive 50k and a laptop whereas a winner of BBN will go home with N45m.

Some one should tell Buhari that after 58 years, he is slow in giving Nigerians uninterrupted power supply.

Nigeria is a dream killer. If you doubt this check out what Nigerians are achieving in US and Europe. We all know this.

This just further confirms that the certificates currently obtained in these courses are useless as they can't be justified. Pure fraud!

Another excuse giver.

It seems the traditional medicine maker produce more medicine than our graduates.

Faced similar challenges but mine was on renewable energy field..

Ok... Previous thread justified

FromZeroToHero:
Fact. It's only in Nigeria that an overall best graduating student will receive 50k and a laptop whereas a winner of BBN will go home with N45m.

I was an overall best graduating student in 2011. Up till date, I've not received 1 naira. I've been trying to apply for a lecturing position but university politics has always obstructed my path. I also have a Masters to boot.

You should also blame university authorities, funds are released but most times being looted by universities councils who are greedy politicians collaborating with the VCs who have waited till the opportunity came to amass wealth

sonofelizabeth:
I just had to reply to this thread because of the anger I felt after reading what the OP had to say...

https://www.nairaland.com/5810258/covid-19-microbiology-biochemistry-lecturers-students?iorg_service_id_internal=1646953538912597%3BAfpt3gn3piWujwcA

Some of you like our president and his equally ill informed education minister with his e-learning directive (what a joke) will just make very silly statements....
Personal experience...
My area of research is drug discovery and I have been working on therapeutic peptides for quite a while. During my MSc, it took me 2 years to isolate a compound all because there were no laboratories and basic lab equipment to work with. It got so bad that I had to finally send my samples to Brazil to complete the project (the drama I passed through to get my samples there is a story for another day; nobody trusts Nigerians anymore). We had to cut out about 40% of the initial design for lack of research facilities and even at that, our total expenditure exceeded a million naira (luckily, we had a grant).
Discoveries takes time and costs money.
Information is power! We don't have proper libraries. Data is super expensive and worst of all, power supply is non existent. I remember working on a very unstable compound and needed uninterrupted power for at least 6 hours...guess what, we had to abandon that experiment after a couple of trials.
I can authoritatively say that not a single University in Nigeria can successfully culture cell lines or possess protein/DNA sequencing equipment or a high resolution microscope like a confocal microscope or even laboratories that can handle biohazardous materials, particles or organisms and someone here is talking about finding a cure to a novel and highly infectious disease. Even if by some miracle we come up with a cure, we don't have the capacity to carry out clinical trials. I guess some of you think that finding the cure to a disease is as simple as mastercraft cooking up the beats to a Davido's hit song.
Nigerians only value entertainment which explains why Mercy walked away with a 100 million last year for showcasing zero talent and silicone implants. Brands only identify with sectors of public interest.
A country is only as good as its values so leave ASUU and Nigerian scientists out of this as we are all to blame.

Lalasticala, mynd44 Nigerians need to know these facts.

Why do you expend your energy responding to such a useless trend

LordIsaac:
This just further confirms that the certificates currently obtained in these courses are useless as they can't be justified. Pure fraud!

Most certificates from Nigerian universities can't be justified

FromZeroToHero:
Fact. It's only in Nigeria that an overall best graduating student will receive 50k and a laptop whereas a winner of BBN will go home with N45m.

SIMPLE and CORRECT.
and MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, ARIK, INDOMIE, UAC, HONEYWELL etc will all sponsor the prostitutes.

sexylassie2:
Another excuse giver.

It seems the traditional medicine maker produce more medicine than our graduates.

...and I hope you patronize them.

Some of you don't seem to recognise that traditional medicine is basically untested plant extracts with unknown shelf life and cytotoxicity.

In 2009, a family friend spent almost a year in the hospital and incurred a bill of close to a million naira because of 50 naira agbo he drank to remedy malaria symptoms.

You can go ahead and buy the covid-19 vaccine that is produced in Kano. I am sure it works!

bularuz:


Why do you expend your energy responding to such a useless trend

Some people need to be educated!

aminusodiq:
Ok... Previous thread justified

sonofelizabeth:


...and I hope you patronize them.

Some of you don't seem to recognise that traditional medicine are basically untested plant extracts with unknown shelf life and cytotoxicity.

In 2009, a family friend spent almost a year in the hospital and incurred a bill of close to a million naira because of 50 naira agbo he drank to remedy malaria symptoms.

You can go ahead and buy the covid-19 vaccine that is produced in Kano. I am sure it works!

It is because the universities aren't producing nothing that is why most people run to traditional doctors, the universities havent proven that they can do something.

Universities are suppose to be the center for societal change, inventions, new ideas but ours is a center of ignorance.

Lot of PhDs holders in this country no research of importance.

sexylassie2:


It is because the universities aren't producing nothing that is why most people run to traditional doctors, the universities havent proven that they can do something.

Universities are suppose to be the center for societal change, inventions, new ideas but ours is a center of ignorance.

Lot of PhDs holders in this country no research of importance.

Did you read my post at all?

The consumables (i.e. DNA isolation kit, polymerase enzymes, primers etc) required to carryout a SIMPLE molecular test like PCR for say a hundred reactions cost north of a thousand dollars.

We don't produce nothing because cutting edge RESEARCH COSTS MONEY!!!

It took an outbreak for the government to set up molecular testing centres across the country and even at that, 13 centres is not close enough to cater to the demand of 201 million people.

Mind you, all the consumables used in these centres were donated!

sonofelizabeth:


Did you read my post at all?

The consumables (i.e. DNA isolation kit, polymerase enzymes, primers etc) to carryout a simple molecular test like PCR for say a hundred reactions costs north of a thousand dollars.

We don't produce nothing because cutting edge RESEARCH COSTS MONEY!!!

It took an outbreak for the government to set up molecular testing centres across the country and even at that, 13 centres is not close enough to cater to the demand of 201 million people.

Mind you, all the consumables used in these centres were donated!

People started from somewhere with the little resources they have in their hands, those local guys building locally made stuff arent complaining of lack of resources like those that went to universities.

aminusodiq:
Ok... Previous thread justified

I am not going to dignify this with a response.

sexylassie2:


People started from somewhere with the little resources they have in their hands, those local guys building locally made stuff arent complaining of lack of resources like those that went to universities.

When it comes to drug discovery and vaccine candidates, there are no cutting corners and management of resources. You don't use humans as Guinea pigs. The science has to be exhaustive and specific.

It is either the funds and equipment are available or no research can be done.

sonofelizabeth:


When it comes to drug discovery and vaccine candidates, there are no cutting corners and management of resources. You don't use humans as Guinea pigs. The science has to be exhaustive and specific.

It is either the funds and equipment are available or no research can be done.

I don't believe that, I watched a documentary on DW about research in the medical field, many didn't even need lot of cash to carry out, rats were used as samples. For instance a research was done to find the effect of fastfood and lack of omega 9 on humans, the volunteers were given fast foods, rats were starved of omega 9, blood samples from humans were taken, for rats they noticed when you starve them of omega 9 they start eating their young ones. This are simple stuff that can be done at home

Problem here is that most are lazy, they believe everything is money.

sexylassie2:


I don't believe that, I watched a documentary on DW about research in the medical field, many didn't even need lot of cash to carry out, rats were used as samples. For instance a research was done to find the effect of fastfood and lack of omega 9 on humans, the volunteers were given fast foods, rats were starved of omega 9, blood samples from humans were taken, for rats they noticed when you starve them of omega 9 they start eating their young ones. This are simple stuff that can be done at home

Problem here is that most are lazy, they believe everything is money.

Is this cutting edge?

We do tonnes of these kind of studies yearly. Journal articles coming out of Africa are basically on studies like this.

Molecular biology and drug discovery is a totally different animal.

sonofelizabeth:


Is this cutting edge?

We do tonnes of these kind of studies yearly. Journal articles coming out of Africa are basically on studies like this.

Molecular biology and drug discovery is a totally different animal.

You want cutting edge but can invent equipment for these type of research. Ventilators we can't produce.

India is the one sending drugs to nigeria, many companies there have patent to some drugs against some rare disease and that is India, a developing country like us.


We are excuse givers, we haven't even build the baby steps for research suddenly we want cutting edge.

Even polio, our so called researchers couldn't find the cure, guess what, bill and merida foundation were the ones doing research abroad and sending the vaccines to Nigeria.