By Abdullahi Alhassan Kaduna
Ahmadu Bello University's (ABU) Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB) has awarded a total of N24,520,330 as seed grants to five researchers from the institution. The grants were awarded to successful applicants from three academic departments after a rigorous review and evaluation process.
The recipients of the seed grants include Professor Emmanuel O. Balogun of the Department of Biochemistry, who received N4,998,980 for his project titled "Development of Novel Toxoplasmosis Prototype Kit (ToxoRap) for Commercialisation". Dr. Yusuf Wada of the Department of Zoology received N4,990,000 for his project on "Development of a Point-of-Care (POC) Lateral Flow Test Strips (LFTSs) for the Simultaneous Detection of Malaria and Typhoid Fever".
Other recipients include Umar Aliyu Umar of the Department of Biochemistry, who received N4,950,000 for his project on "Development of Novel Phytomedicine for Treatment of Urogenital Schistosomiasis"; Umar Saidu, also of the Department of Biochemistry, who received N4,975,850 for his project on "Development of Botanical Molluscicide for the Control of Snail Intermediate Host of Schistosomiasis"; and Professor Adele Dzikwi Garkida of the Department of Glass and Silicate Technology, who received N4,605,500 for her project on "Upscaling Glass and Granite Wastes Composite as Alternative to Porcelain Body for Developing High Performance Electrical Insulators".
The Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Professor Kabiru Bala, presided over the ceremony where the seed grant award letters were presented to the recipients. He congratulated the recipients and commended the centre for its efforts.
The Centre Leader, Professor Yakubu K.E. Ibrahim, gave an overview of the ACENTDFB seed grant and described the occasion as unique. He commended the centre's seed grant policy implementation committee and explained that the five winners were selected from 21 applications received for the grant.
Professor Ibrahim emphasized that the grant funds must be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the recipients' proposals, including the development of entrepreneurship and scientific enterprise relevant to community needs. The seed grant award ceremony was witnessed by top members of the university's management and key staff of the centre.
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