President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged Nigerian universities to intensify their research in order to develop (coronavirus) COVID-19 vaccine to tackle the dreaded virus afflicting the country.
Buhari, represented by Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the Minister of State for Education, gave the challenge at the fifth and sixth combined convocation of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) on Saturday.
The President explained that Nigerian Universities were supposed to be centres for scientific and technological discoveries, values and character formation, inventions, as well as drivers of societal development.
He added that the development of the vaccine would fortify Nigerians’ immune systems against COVID-19.
According to him, his administration remained committed to tackling the challenges of sustainable funding for research, capacity building and employment creation.
He said, “You all know that in the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began its devastating effect on the education sub-sectors, leading to the destruction of universities’ academic activities.
“I, therefore, urge and encourage the universities to intensify their research to come up with a more potent vaccine to fortify our immune system against this dreaded virus.”
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