ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) says it has established an Ebola Response Team and supplied 17 cartons of hand sanitiser and 2,000 public awareness posters to support Nigeria’s efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
The institute disclosed this in a statement on Friday, outlining its recent public health interventions and reforms in research funding, infrastructure, staff welfare and pharmaceutical innovation under its Acting Director-General, Philip Builders. The Ebola Response Team is headed by Peters Oladisu, Director of the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology.
NIPRD said the sanitiser and educational posters, which cover Ebola symptoms and preventive measures, were supplied to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as part of efforts to strengthen public awareness and preparedness against emerging health threats.
It has established an Office for Strategic Partnerships and Commercialisation, headed by scientist Adeola Jegede, to attract research opportunities, facilitate institutional partnerships and support the commercialisation of products developed through its research.
In another research development, NIPRD scientist Isaac Ajeh secured a National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Innovation Grant for a project exploring the conversion of plantain peels into pharmaceutical products.
The project seeks to investigate the potential use of agricultural waste as a resource for pharmaceutical development, linking local scientific research with sustainable innovation.
The institute said it was also upgrading its NCC Centre, computer-based testing facilities and other information and communication technology infrastructure.
According to NIPRD, the improvements are expected to support digital research, computer-based examinations and technology-driven learning, while providing access to ICT facilities for schools in neighbouring communities.
The institute added that it had supported researchers to participate in national and international training programmes to strengthen their skills, promote scientific collaboration and expose them to global research practices.
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