Friday, November 22, 2013

Unijos wins $8m dollars World Bank grant for research

The University of Jos has received an eight million dollar grant from
the World Bank to establish of an African Centre of Excellence to
research on the production of drugs from plants (phytomedicine).
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Hayward Mafuyai, made the
fact known in Jos on Friday when he briefed newsmen on the research
activities of the institution.
He said that the award was given based on the university's entry in
the call by the bank for research initiatives from African
universities.
"We competed with about 52 universities in Africa and we were lucky to
win the grant.
"The grant was given to the university to conduct researches to
produce modern drugs from plants in Africa
"The grant will be used to conduct researches on different leaves,
roots and plants so as to extract their medicinal contents for the use
of human beings.
"The team of researchers from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science
will carry out the research
"The money will be released to the researchers in phases so as to
complete the work without hitches, " he said
The vice-chancellor also said that the university emerged as the best
in the category of universities in the country during the second
Education Innovation Exhibition announced in Abuja on Wednesday, Nov.
13.
He said that "the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology organised the exhibition.
"The team of researchers from the university has produced some drugs
for the use of Nigerians.
"Our researchers have produced anti-hypertension, anti-diabetes,
anti-malaria drugs and anti snake venom.
"We have sent the newly developed drugs to some overseas universities
for further verification on their potency," he said
Mafuyai said that the institution had also signed a Memorandum (MoU)
of Understanding with the university of Cape- Coast in Ghana to train
its staff.
"The MOU is signed for initial three year duration for the purpose of
omithology: to develop and carry out conservation based training," he
said.
The vice-chancellor appealed to philanthropists to come to the aid of
the university so that it could become the best in the country. (NAN)

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