The challenges posed by the global pestilence of COVID-19 currently ravaging developed and developing nations alike have compelled Nigerian scientists at Bayero University Kano to move from mere theorising to evolving practical solution to tackle real problems confronting society.
In this context, the university’s Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry has mobilised its staff to produce alcohol-based hand sanitisers in response to the rising demand for the product in the markets across the state.
Daily Trust investigation revealed that prior to COVID-19 outbreak, a 500ml bottle of hand sanitiser costs between N600-N800, but since the index case was reported in Lagos late February, and the subsequent increase in the number of confirmed cases, residents of the commercial city started adopting preventive measures including the use of hand sanitisers to wade off the deadly virus.
This informed the decision of the department to mobilise resources and potentials to save the populace, the Head Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry of the university, Dr. Ibrahim Tajo Siraj has said.
Speaking to Daily Trust, he said the initiative was meant to augment and complement the effort of the government in curbing and containing the spread of the disease across the country.
He revealed that the department has been inspired to go back to the laboratory to ease the suffering of the masses through the production of hand sanitisers saying, “The hand sanitisers, which are at the experimental stage are targeted at users within the university community until it gains official approval and registration from National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for mass production for the consumption of Kano State at the initial stage.”
On the issue of funding of the research effort, he said, “At present not much resource was needed. The Department has not earmarked any fund for the production. We only use our meager resources. Only a few samples were produced in preparation for mass production which we hope will be distributed free.” “We are working to get it registered and we will be free for government support. We intend to do this as community service.
As such, we will welcome interest from the government for mass production to distribute to the larger community”. Dr. Siraj noted that the Department has all it takes to produce sanitisers of international standard in line with specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO). “We have the technical experts; we have standard laboratories for the formulation, and we have the commitment to do it,” he said.
Explaining further, Professor Abdulrahman Abdul Audu, who was also at the laboratory helping other researchers said the university’s branded hand sanitisers would be very effective as they will strictly abide by the WHO standards. “According to WHO, the required formulations for hand sanitisers include ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, as well as glycerol and water. We shall strictly adhere to these formulations,” he said.
In a similar development, Daily Trust reported that the university has also commissioned a team of engineers to fabricate respiratory ventilators to address the acute shortage of equipment in the hospitals and other emergency treatment facilities across the state.
