Ambode, Canadian Governor-General, Payette to open new Biosecurity Lab in Lagos

LAGOS  State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, will on Tuesday join the Governor General of Canada, Rt. Hon Julie Payette, to inaugurate a new biosecurity laboratory in Lagos.

Lagos State government disclosed this on Sunday in a statement, saying the inauguration of the state Biobank, located at the Mainland Hospital in Yaba, where the isolation unit used by the state government to contain the 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak was located.

The statement said the laboratory, funded by Canada in partnership with the Lagos State government, would serve as a single repository for all high-concentration pathogens in the state, adding that it would also help the state mitigate post-EVD threats and build capacity for prevention, detection and response to future outbreaks in Nigeria and West Africa.

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It said the State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, would also be part of the delegation to accompany Governor Ambode to receive Hon. Payette at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport and thereafter proceed to unveil the new facility.

According to the statement, the Canadian Governor General would after the inauguration visit students participating in the CodeLagos computer literacy program.

“Her Excellency will visit Akande Dahunsi Memorial Senior High School to interact with students taking part in the CodeLagos program and talk to them about her background in informatics. During this time, members of the Canadian delegation will give presentations on their own experiences and careers in other classrooms,” the statement said.

The CodeLagos program, currently running in public and private schools in the state, is an initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Education aimed at educating over one million residents for the future of work – by teaching how to write code and creatively solve problems.

The statement added that the August visitor would have a lunch discussion with members of the Lagos business community, where she would deliver brief opening remarks which would bring the business community together.

It said the Canadian Governor General would round off her visit with a reception for Arts and Culture Friends of Canada.

The statement further said that the reception would see her meet with individuals who had made and continued to make exceptional efforts in promoting and enhancing the Canada-Nigeria relationship, adding that it would provide an opportunity to celebrate the vitality of the arts and culture scene in Lagos.