UNIJOS Commences COVID-19 Vaccine Production

Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), has received a DNA-based indigenous COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, codenamed SJN3T CorVac (Sokoto, Jos, NARICT, NIMR, NVRI, and TETFund) that was produced by a consortium of Nigerian universities and inter-university centres and will soon undergo Pre-Clinical Trials (PCT) in UNIJOS.

In a statement, yesterday by the Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Abdullahi Abdullahi, the VC reiterated that Nigerian universities and research-based institutions could address most of the country’s challenges if given the necessary support.

Read Also: PMG-MAN, NAFDAC Seek Production Of Vaccines, APIs

Tanko insists that only indigenous solutions could be applied to properly tackle Nigeria’s socio-political, economic, and health problems, which the country’s indigenous researchers were suitably equipped to handle provided they are given the required funding.

He believes that recruiting foreign experts and importing foreign solutions to resolve the country’s challenges may be counter-productive in the long run.

Prof. Ishaya explained that the university’s goal in the research consortium’s collaborative and inter-disciplinary project towards developing an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine was to utilise modern technologies to conduct PCT of the vaccine candidate and develop a Strategic Communications Tool that will be used for measuring the acceptability and uptake of the vaccine candidate among Nigerians.