Abuja – The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Thursday commended the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Ogun State, for its contributions toward the diagnosis of Ebola virus.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, made the commendation at the signing of Performance Contract between NUC, World Bank and 10 Nigerian Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) in Abuja.

Redeemer’s University, a centre of excellence, developed a rapid response diagnostics test that can detect Ebola virus in 15 minutes.

Okojie said that ACE’s project was instituted in 2013 by the governments of Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Ghana, Cameron, Nigeria, Togo and Senegal with support from World Bank.

“Redeemer’s university had a very unique project in Ebola research when the virus came on board and they responded very quickly to the challenge Ebola; we are still celebrating our success.

“Following a competitive process, 19 Centres of Excellence emerged from the West and Central African sub regions, out of which Nigerian universities won 10.

“The ACE project has the capacity to transform the economic landscape of the sub-region, only if we can look inward and come up with innovations that can address our common problems,’’ he said.

Okojie said that the project was initiated to promote regional specialisation among universities in the participating countries within the West and Central Africa to deliver high quality training and applied research.

Speaking, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Minister of Education, disclosed that the World Bank assisted project sought to promote research in Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Shekarau said that the signing of the performance contract was the last hurdle toward making ACE effective in Nigeria.

“NUC will work with the World Bank in the coming days to release 10 per cent of your approved funds to enable you commence work on your projects activities.

“We are in an era where our lives are, to a great extent, defined by the innovations in the world of technology.

“I, therefore, challenge you to be focused and innovative because the challenges facing us nationally and regionally are enormous and you are looked upon to provide solutions,’’ he said.

On his part, a representative of the World Bank, Mr Bayo Awosemusi, said that the process of selecting the universities for the project was transparent and fair.

He said that all universities were given the opportunity to submit proposals after which a rigorous screening was carried out.

He urged the participating universities to utlilise the opportunity maximally as it was the first of its kind in the world that the bank was embarking on a massive regional intervention.

The Nigerian ACE universities that signed the contract were African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, University of Port Harcourt, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and Redeemer’s University, Ede, Ogun State.

Others were Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Jos, University of Benin, Bayero University, Kano, Benue State University and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. (NAN)