An alumnus of Abia State University, Charles Awuzie, has donated a million naira to a research team at the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the university for longevity research.
Awuzie – a Nigerian South African-based businessman and technology enthusiast − is the founder and CEO of Gemsbok Group, and also the co-founder and CEO of Transhuman Coin (THC).
Awuzie, who graduated from the Department of Biochemistry of the university, stated that the funds will enable Professor Eziuche A. Ugbogu of the Department of Biochemistry and his students to research anti-aging and longevity.
He stated that the fund donated to his alma mater is part of THC’s efforts to support and partner with institutions and companies researching anti-ageing, longevity and brain-computer interface technologies.
He further stated that beyond funding students’ research on anti-ageing and longevity, they will also create a student exchange programme where the best science and technology students from selected universities in Nigeria, including ABSU, will visit the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, on an exchange programme.
Professor Ugbogu, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the university, while confirming the funds and partnership, appreciated Awuzie and the Transhumanism research team – especially, Peter Xing, the co-founder of THC − for the gesture.
Professor Ugbogu said the funds will enable his students to study the bioactive phytoconstituents of untapped edible medicinal plants with anti-ageing and life-prolonging potentials in Nigeria as part of their undergraduate project.
Awuzie said that longevity is another emerging field of interest and that biotechnology is going to take the world by storm just like artificial intelligence.
He stressed that if Nigeria must develop, education must be made more attractive, hard work must be rewarded, and students must be incentivised.
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