Five researchers from three academic departments of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria have won about N24.52 million as seed grant awarded by the institution’s Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB).
This followed successful selection of their research proposals after “careful review and evaluation”.
The winners are Prof. Emmanuel Balogun of the Department of Biochemistry, Dr. Yusuf Wada of the Department of Zoology, Umar Aliyu Umar of Department of Biochemistry, Umar Saidu of Department of Biochemistry, and Prof. Adele Dzikwi Garkida of Department of Glass and Silicate Technology.
Balogun’s work, ‘Development of Novel Toxoplasmosis Prototype Kit (ToxoRap) for Commercialisation’, attracts N4,998,980, while Wada, who will work on ‘Development of a Point-of-Care (POC) Lateral Flow Test Strips (LFTSs) for the Simultaneous Detection of Malaria and Typhoid Fever’, receives N4,990,000.
‘Development of Novel Phytomedicine for Treatment of Urogenital Schistosomiasis’ is Umar’s research application which earns N4,950,000.
Saidu, who will work on ‘Development of Botanical Molluscicide for the Control of Snail Intermediate Host of Schistosomiasis’, gets N4,975,850, while Garkida’s ‘Upscaling Glass and Granite Wastes Composite as Alternative to Porcelain Body for Developing High Performance Electrical Insulators’ attracts N4,605,500.
The seed grant, which will be disbursed in two installments, is for a period of six months.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kabiru Bala presided over the ceremony that featured the presentation of the seed grant award letters. He congratulated the recipients and also commended the centre for its effort.
The Centre Leader, Prof. Yakubu Ibrahim, who gave an overview on the ACENTDBF seed grant, described the occasion as a unique one.
He commended the centre’s seed grant policy implementation committee, explained that the five winners were picked from the 21 applications received for the grant.
He said that the grant funds must be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in their proposals, including the development of entrepreneurship and scientific enterprise relevant to community needs.
The seed grant award ceremony was witnessed by top members of management, and key staff of the centre.
