President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerian universities to intensify their research and develop COVID-19 vaccine to tackle the virus.

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Mr Buhari was speaking at the 5th and 6th combined convocation of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) on Saturday.

He said Nigerian universities were supposed to be centres for scientific and technological discoveries, inventions, values and character formation as well as drivers of societal development.

The president added that the development of the vaccine would fortify Nigerians’ immune system against the virus.

“I therefore urge and encourage the universities to intensify their research to come up with a more potent vaccine to fortify our immune system against this dreaded virus,” Mr Buhari said. 

He also tasked the universities to explore available opportunities, including research collaboration with allied industries and development partners to create other sources of revenue generation.

According to the President, such will support his economic diversification drive.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Armaya’u Hamisu-Bichi, urged the federal government to dig trenches around the main campus of the institution because of the current security challenges in the country.

(NAN)