Governor Mai Mala Buni says the state has spent N800 million on the construction of the permanent office of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre of Yobe State University, Damaturu.

Mr Buni stated this at the centre’s inauguration in Damaturu on Thursday.

He appreciated the uncommon commitment and generous contributions of Prof. Mahmoud Maina, BioRTC director, in acquiring equipment worth over N10 billion for the centre’s operations.

“This is a scientific asset that will enable research that is more inclusive, more accurate, and more relevant to our people.

“This is because, for too long, Africa has been subjected to relying on medical and other research that is conducted in different climes, environments, cultures, and lifestyles without recourse to our peculiarities and genetic diversity.

“I am proud that BioRTC has established Africa’s first major induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) bio bank with an African-centred focus,” Mr Buni said.

The governor noted that BioRTC was leading the establishment of one of Nigeria’s most ambitious and deeply characterised dementia research cohorts.

According to him, this work will place our country on the global map in Alzheimer’s disease and brain health research, and ensure African populations are not excluded from the future of neuroscience.

“Similarly, for many decades, several communities along the banks of the River Yobe have been plagued by Chronic Kidney Disease, losing many precious lives, and throwing many families into agony on a daily basis.

“This has been a major driving force for the establishment of the centre to find a solution to this scourge,” he said.

Mr Buni called on the Federal Ministry of Health to partner with the BioRTC to support open, low-cost diagnostics for malaria microscopy and other related community-level diagnostic programmes.

He also pleaded with the Federal Government to establish a Federal Kidney Disease Centre in the state to reverse the increasing cases of kidney failure.

The governor appreciated the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa for inducting him into its Hall of Fame for advancing neuroscience and tackling health challenges, such as kidney disease, across Africa.

Mr Maina, a neuroscientist, thanked the Buni-led administration for providing operational funds to the BioRTC and sponsoring its staff for foreign training.

He said BioRTC was founded by him in 2021 with support from officials of the university and the state government, adding that the centre has trained over 1,000 scientists in research and innovation since then.

Mr Maina, a visiting professor at the University of Sussex, England, said that through his foreign contacts, BioRTC acquired state-of-the-art equipment, including high-end laser confocal microscopes and a circular dichroism machine.

Amadi Ihunwo, chairman of the society’s governing council, called on the public and private sectors to invest in BioRTC.

He advised the Federal Government to establish BioRTC centres in each of the six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to investigate and tackle tropical diseases.

(NAN)