‘Genomics, Related Research Can Serve as Platforms to Solve Nigeria’s Challenges’
By Hammed Shittu
The new President of the Nigeria Bioinformatics and Genomics Network (NBGN) (NBGN), Dr. Charles Adetunji, has said that genomic science and related research could serve as platforms in solving problems and challenges confronting Nigeria and the African continent.
Adetunjj stated this yesterday at Landmark University in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State during a three-day conference of the NBGN.
He said that the challenges in different sectors and various field of endeavours in Nigeria and the whole of Africa, which had led to underdevelopment and stagnation, could be unbundled if relevant stakeholders could support the body’s initiatives.
The renowned microbiologist lamented that the potentials of Nigeria nation and Africa continent have remained untapped adding that “it is our solemn duty to ensure that we educate the bright minds of tomorrow.”
He opined that “key to delivery on this objectives, is not just growing our membership base, but also to connect our excellent researches all across Nigeria with other researchers in America, Europe and Asia.”
He promised that the body would swing into action to achieve its set objectives of adding value to the society at large.
He stressed that “it is my desire to foster this network with many reputational research institutions across the globe and to bring Nigeria on the map of attention for foreigners.”
Adetunji, therefore, commended the sponsors of the conference, 54gene and the management of Landmark University, for hosting the conference.
He also assured that collaborative efforts would be geared towards bridging identified knowledge gaps, fostering research collaborations, providing and disseminating knowledge and opportunities within the field of genomics, bioinformatics and computational biology.
Also speaking at the event, the immediate past President and Founder of NGBN, Dr. Segun Fatumo, who is an Associate Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, recalled that since the completion of the first human genome about 20 years ago, only a little had been done within Nigeria and African populations.
Fatumo, who referred to the human genome as the language in which God created life, noted that many Nigerians are only familiar with the use of DNA to identify the fatherhood.
He, however, said: “Our DNA can predict people who tend to develop diseases such as cancer, kidney diseases, and diabetes. The good thing about this is that early genomic prediction could aid appropriate intervention.”
