Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has assured that the Federal Government will partner the Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, on the production of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.
He gave the assurance while receiving in audience the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Osman Aras, in his office yesterday in Abuja.
The minister hailed the university for working in collaboration with other research institutions in the country to come up with COVID-19 vaccine.
Onu said his ministry was interested in moving the economy away from commodities to knowledge-based in line with the main thrust of President Muhammed Buhari”s administration.
He said the ministry was working assiduously to bring all research institutions and universities to a round table interaction which shall help build a knowledge economy.
“We have the human capital to do it, and this is where the university system is of critical importance,” he said.
Also yesterday, Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Founder Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) called on the Federal Government to grant necessary approval to Nigerian universities to begin production of COVID-19 vaccines.
Babalola said the universities have the required manpower and intellectual properties to develop potent drugs and vaccines that would help treat coronavirus pandemic.
The legal luminary, who spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti during the ABUAD’s 8th convocation ceremony for the 2019/2020 academic session, accused the Federal Government’s agencies of frustrating the institution’s efforts at manufacturing COVID-19 drugs since last year.
The frontline legal icon added that these agencies had wholesomely contributed to the woes befalling the country’s health and the education sectors.
According to him, “When we asked for accelerated action, we were rebuffed and they queried us on why we were in a hurry and added that, after all, it takes four years in America to get such approval. Of course, that was not correct because other countries like America, England and India have worked on it and got an answer within a year.”
