COVID-19: Nigerian scientists develop preventive vaccines, seek assistance

A team of scientists coordinated by the vice chancellor, Precious Cornerstone University (PCU), Ibadan, Professor Kola Oloke, has developed two potential vaccines that could prevent the Coronavirus disease currently ravaging the world.

According to the team, the research work has reached an advanced stage of animal trial experiment which will help to establish the efficacy of the vaccines for the prevention of the dreaded disease.

In a stastement jointly signed by Professor Oloke and other leaders of the team: Dr Oladipo Kolawole, a microbiologist and medical virology expert from the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, and Dr. Ajayi Folorunsho, a medical physiologist with specialization in Pathophysiology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, the scientists said they were motivated by the need to rise to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have worked extensively by exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome from African countries to select the best possible potential vaccine candidates. After trying out some selected processes of vaccine development, we have been able to choose the best potential vaccine candidates for the SARS-CoV -2 and they have made the possible latent vaccine constructs,” the scientists revealed.

The research work is a collaborative effort of a number of scientists from different institutions/disciplines, and it was carried out at the Genomics Research Hub of Helix Biogen Consult in Ogbomoso, jointly funded by the Trinity Immunoefficient Laboratory and Helix Biogen Consult owned by Dr Kolawole Oladipo.

The team has called on other researchers in Africa to rise up to the challenge offered by this period by coming up with more solutions.

“The understanding of genetic diversity/variability of the SARS-CoV-2 in Africa is a very urgent assignment. There is a need for African scientists to wake up and provide more solutions to the pandemic specific for Africans,” they said.

The animal trial experiment of the vaccines is billed to commence any moment from now.

“We are on the verge of something truly transformational in Nigeria and Africa and, by extension, the world at large,” the statement added.

They team of researchers, therefore, called for financial assistance from government and relevant stakeholders so as to see the efforts through.

“The team has been able to construct two potential vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 which should work in a much pretty way to protect the general populace against the COVID-19 if it becomes successful in the animal trial experiments,” the statement said further.

Other key members of the team include Dr Onile Olugbenga, specialist in Molecular Epidemiology and Immunology from Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State; Dr Ariyo Olumuyiwa Elijah, specialist in Infectious and Tropical Diseases from Federal Medical Centre, Ido, Ekiti State, and Dr. Folusho Ajayi, specialist in Microbial and Molecular Biotechnology from the Massasoit Community College, Brockton, United States, among others.

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