Nigeria news : Reps ask FG to send researchers to Madagascar, Senegal to study alleged COVID19 breakthroughs, The House of Representatives has asked the Federal government to set up a delegation of academia to visit Madagascar and Senegal in a bid to study their alleged COVID19 breakthrough.
The lower chamber has also asked for an N15bn Coronavirus Emergency Fund for Nigerian Universities and Tertiary Institutions.
The green chamber also asked the federal government to set up an Infectious Diseases Research Institute in 6 selected Federal Government universities across the Six Geo-Political Zones of the country.
These were part of the resolutions of a motion moved by Steve Azaiki and nine others on Tuesday during plenary.
Moving the motion, Azaiki noted that Nigeria needs to invest in research to retain its status as the giant of Africa and the globe.
He noted that COVID-19 has further exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability.
“Nigeria must be counted as one of the countries making contributions in science and research to find the cure and vaccine for COVID–19 and to achieve this objective there is need to provide support and funding to universities and research institutions through special emergency funding to enable them to carry out such responsibilities, ” he stated.
He added that the “COVID–19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Nigeria’s universities and tertiary education system and without major mitigation, like discovering an effective therapy or vaccine, mass testing and a new strategic infusion of federal funding, the landscape of Nigeria’s university and tertiary institutions may be forever changed.”
Meanwhile, the lawmaker commended some selected schools in Nigeria that have made efforts in the fight against the Virus.
“We must take cognizance of the efforts by some Nigerian institutions like University of Benin (UNIBEN) Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) and Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in contributing to the ongoing fight against COVID19, where researchers have produced clinically tested low-cost and effective ventilators.”
Adding that, “strategic additional funding could increase their capacity in this regard.”
The green chamber also resolved to urge the Federal Government to empower some special universities to build the capacity to do the required testing to meet up with the national demand on testing.
The chamber also mandated the committees on Tertiary Education, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Science and Technology to ensure implementation, while also seeking the concurrence of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Leave a comment