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Nigeria’s college system witnessed its golden period between the Nineteen Fifties and Eighties. It produced globally celebrated teachers and virologists. However the story has modified. Underneath funding of the college system, insufficient assist for analysis and lack of dedication to the event of science and know-how by the federal government are robbing the nation of high quality teachers. Virologists are amongst them. Famend virologist, Oyewale Tomori, who graduated within the Nineteen Seventies, units out the way it was then, why the nation is the place it’s now and what it may do to revive its misplaced glory in science and know-how training.
What’s the historical past of coaching virologists in Nigeria?
Though trendy virology started with the invention between 1915 and 1917 of bacteriophages (that’s, viruses that infect micro organism , virology solely grew to become a self-discipline by itself within the final 50 years.
The self-discipline may be divided into the biology of viruses (molecular biology and biochemistry) and viral illnesses (physiology, epidemiology, and medical points of virus illnesses). One department offers with the examine of the character and properties of the virus, whereas the second is concentrated on the illnesses attributable to viruses and the interaction of the elements (human, animal, virus and the setting) that outcome within the emergence and reemergence of viral illnesses.
At this time, a radical examine of virology encompasses the One Well being idea. This takes into consideration the interactions between people and animals and the setting.
The primary set of Nigerian virologists was skilled exterior the nation. Native coaching of virologists began within the early Nineteen Seventies, on the College of Ibadan. It was the only real coaching centre for virologists till the late Nineteen Nineties.
At this time, there are about 200 virologists in Nigeria. Is that this quantity sufficient?
Answering the query isn’t the identical as measuring, for instance, the perfect “physician to affected person” ratio. It is because virologists are researchers, so the headline quantity isn’t the principle problem. Quite it’s whether or not these skilled as virologists are functioning successfully and maximally.
Suffice to say that Nigeria wants extra virologists given the scale of the nation, and the variety of endemic viral infections prevalent in it. Yearly, the nation studies extreme outbreaks of virus illnesses, akin to Lassa Fever, yellow fever and measles.
You want virolgists to be forward of the emergence of viral illness outbreaks.
However the excessive price of kit and reagents, in addition to different services for conducting virus research have restricted the output of skilled virologists by the Nigerian college system.
At present, the nation has extra virologists specialising as molecular virologists, relatively than consultants on the epidemiology and medical points of viral illnesses. And poor collaboration between laboratory scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians has robbed Nigeria of getting the wanted steadiness between molecular virologists and people finding out viral illnesses. There’s a disconnect between the examine of viruses and the illnesses they trigger. We have now skilled virologists with little data of the right way to management the illnesses attributable to viruses.
Virologists who shall be related and contribute to bettering the well being of the society, should use their data and experience to forestall and management viral illness, in any other case they turn into a treasured decoration of little use to somebody dying of a viral illness.
Nigeria, a illness ridden society, has no place for virologists who uncover a virus however can’t decipher what it does. Or are unable to make use of their data to mitigate the devastation of a viral illness outbreak.
What’s completely different now within the coaching of virologists?
After I skilled as a virologist on the College of Ibadan in South West Nigeria, the coaching was complete. It concerned each broad-based subject work in addition to laboratory investigation.
Up to now, along with using obtainable strategies (antigen-antibody research and animal experimentation) to determine and classify viruses, an in depth epidemiological examine of the illnesses attributable to the virus was additionally carried out.
This was a One Well being idea that thought of the pathogen, the particular person, the animal, and the setting within the examine of viruses and the illnesses they trigger. This supplied data wanted for the management and prevention of the illness.
At this time, the main focus is principally on finding out and dissecting the virus, utilizing extra trendy and extremely refined strategies, like genomic sequencing.
A number of hurdles stand in the way in which of constructing a much bigger cohort of virologists in Nigeria.
Firstly, the dearth of contemporary services in laboratories and the poor state of primary infrastructure and different assets (akin to electrical energy and reagents) are working in opposition to analysis growth. You can not run genetic sequencing and even sterilise your tools utilizing a candle as your supply of energy.
Secondly, budgetary allocation to training is mostly poor – in any respect ranges, together with the secondary faculty system.
Thirdly, and sadly, the Nigerian authorities shouldn’t be dedicated to funding analysis. Monetary assist for science and analysis stays pathetic. This has led to the deterioration within the amount and high quality of skilled virologists at Nigeria’s universities. The oases of excellence within the Nigerian desert of analysis panorama are largely funded by grants from exterior our bodies and businesses.
However for the way lengthy are you going to rely on exterior grants to fund your analysis and growth? It’s like Africa whining and crying for fairness when, for instance, COVID-19 vaccines weren’t obtainable for our populations. You don’t beg for fairness, you battle for it. You utilize your assets responsibly to contribute to fairness, and never simply be a client of the crumbs of fairness.
On high of this, we’ve corruption and examination malpractices undermining the very basis of integrity and probity, the pillars on which science and analysis stand. Consequently, our college system is neither capable of retain accountable teachers, nor appeal to the proper of potential college students imbued with duty.
Add to those hurdles the dearth of curiosity of many college students in science and technological training.
What’s lacking?
Sustained funding, infrastructure, services (common energy provide), and nationwide authorities assist for and sustained dedication to analysis.
There’s a basic nationwide disdain for science and know-how. There may be additionally a nationwide failure to completely recognise that science and know-how are wanted for the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.
The federal government ought to put money into science, know-how, analysis and growth.
How has this affected Nigeria’s skill to provide cutting-edge analysis?
Adversely.
We’re a nation consuming different international locations’ returns on funding in science, analysis and know-how. Quite than investing in analysis and contributing to world growth by science and analysis, we’ve resorted to begging for the crumbs of fairness.
We’re solely able to eat different individuals’s returns on investments on science and analysis.
What must be performed?
Return to fundamentals. Put money into analysis, science and know-how.
Nigeria ought to create an enabling setting for scientists to perform successfully and maximally. The nation ought to decide to utilizing analysis outcomes in science and know-how because the medium for remodeling our society to a developed nation. If Nigeria refuses to fund analysis particularly in science and know-how, we are going to stay on the blunt-edge, relatively than the cutting-edge of analysis, science and know-how. We is not going to have the physique of information that may assist us to handle the nation’s well being and different challenges.
Oyewale Tomori doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.