By Thompson Yamput
A professor of Biotechnology, Emmanuel Ekundayo, has advocated the establishment of an institute of biotechnology at Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) to promote the nation’s biotechnology needs.
Ekundayo made the call while delivering the university’s 34th Inaugural Lecture in Lokoja on Wednesday.
Ekundayo’s lecture was entitled: “Biotechnology: The Science, the Products, and the Business – Harnessing Indigenous Bioresources for National Bioeconomy.”
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He said when established the biotechnology institute would serve as a platform for international and industrial collaboration in that field of study.
According to him, it will advance biotechnology from discovery to innovation, from products to enterprise, and from the laboratory to the lives of people.
“I dream of an Institute of Biotechnology at Federal University Lokoja that will help improve diagnostic tests for tuberculosis and typhoid diseases.
“The time has come for our university to lead not only in knowledge generation but also in knowledge application, transforming laboratory discoveries into tangible benefits for farms, markets and communities.
“Let us be the generation that, through innovations and discoveries, harnesses the power of biotechnology to convert our bio-resources to products, and from products to enterprises that impact our lives positively.
“We have the resources. We have the potential. What we need is the will to get it done. We require just a little help,” he said.
Ekundayo urged the federal and state governments, as well as public-spirited individuals and development partners to partner with the university to actualise his proposal.
According to him, Nigeria is dire need of a world-class biotech centre that will nurture innovation, drive enterprise and contribute to national bio-economy development.
“The business of biotechnology is about transforming lives, industries, and nations,” he said.
The don said for Africa and Nigeria in particular, biotechnology offered a pathway to diversify economy, strengthen health systems, improve agricultural productivity and enter the global knowledge economy.
“To achieve this, we must commit to deliberate investment, enabling policies, and visionary leadership that can turn science into sustainable business, and business into societal progress,” he advanced.
Earlier in his remarks, The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, said the theme of the lecture marked a historic moment for the department of biotechnology.
According him, Ekundayo is the first academic from the department to deliver the university’s inaugural lecture.
“In doing so, he is opening the door for others to follow, thereby setting a worthy precedent for his colleagues and younger academics in the discipline.
“I wish to heartily congratulate Prof. Ekundayo for this bold step; a step that marks the fulfilment of an important and mandatory academic obligation,” he said. NAN
