UNIZIK’s Molecular lab, best among equals

By Chukwudi Ndubeze of www.odogwublog.com

The newly built molecular lab at Agulu campus of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka is the best among equals, www.odogwublog.com reports.

The molecular lab was built as part of Vice- Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone’s gift to the institution and to the humanity where Biological researches leading to discovery of drugs and vaccines to solve human health issues could be conducted.

It is also a part of the VC’s Project 200 where he hoped to lift the institution to be ranked among the very top universities of the world hence the massive installation of the ultramodern research center to boost the ability of the institution in attracting researchers around the world.

The project was tactfully supervised by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu through the Business Ventures and Consultancy Services, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka manned by Dr Uche Ngenegbo.

The Director of the UNIZIK Business Ventures and Consultancy Services Dr Uche Ngenegbo in an interview with the number one online Newspaper in South East, www.odogwublog.com declared that the new Biology and Molecular lab of the institution will stand out as the best in the country upon completion and would be envied by institutions around the country and Africa at large.

According to Dr Ngenegbo, the Molecular lab will not only be beneficial for academic researches in the institution but also enhance research studies relating to cells and biology which can attract researchers from all over the country.

He said, “the molecular lab will serve to treat needs and challenges associated with molecular issues and the identification of viruses that are responsible for breakdown issues and deaths.”

The research centre was a brainchild of the University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone, who he said “had pioneer interest in the Molecular lab and had indicated his desire to have such facility in the school.” He said the project was driven by the VC’s love of introducing projects that would help humanity and make life better or the society.

The VC’s interest at seeing the project domiciled in the federal institution was facilitated by a Memorandum of Understanding, signed under Public Private Partnership with investors who not only vowed to finance the project but also deliver at the expected duration.

Prof. Esimone, a Professor of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology had stated in an interview with newsmen that the kind of research that will lead to meaningful development of drugs to cure viruses like COVID-19 needs full infrastructure. 

In Prof Esimone’s words: “Infrastructure has to do with the equipment that is needed and which comes with a lot of cost. We believe that if some of these basic things are put in place, some of us that have the know-how expertise will be able to do that. Nevertheless, my institution has gone beyond waiting for people to provide for us, we have adopted Public Private Partnership approach and it is almost complete and within the next two or three months, it will be functional. That’s the way to go.

Aside the Molecular lab, Dr Ngenegbo hinted that the institution is on the verge of agreeing with foreign universities, under MoU, to facilitate collaborative academic learning and researches that would boost interscholastic student relationship.

“We are also attracting researches from foreign institutions abroad to collaborate with us and improve academic learning. That process is on and a lot of well meaning institutions are ready to sign MoU with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, such that periodically, we cause students relationship with them. Annually, we can have international students coming to us and ours going there too’.

For the Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Administration, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, Unizik under Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone FAS is on the move to actualizing it’s vision and mission in accordance with project 200.