The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has unveiled the National Sequencing Consortium to strengthen public health security in the country.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, the Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris said the consortium was an initiative set to revolutionise the nation’s public health infrastructure.
Newsmen, reports that genomic sequencing is a process where scientists read and map out all the DNA in an organism, such as a human being.
DNA is like a long instruction manual inside our bodies that tells our cells how to work. By sequencing the genome, scientists can understand the exact order of the “letters” (A, T, C, and G) in this manual.
This helps in finding out more about genetic diseases, developing better treatments, and even improving crops and livestock for better agriculture.
Idris said that the launch of the cosortium signified President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to advancing public health and leveraging cutting-edge science to improve the health of Nigerian citizens.
He highlighted the importance of genomic sequencing in the rapid identification and characterization of pathogens, disease surveillance, and outbreak detection, enabling precise public health interventions.
He said that this initiative was a pivotal step towards enhancing Nigeria’s public health laboratory functions and establishing the country as a strategic hub for genomic research.
Also speaking, Prof. Christian Happi, the Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGRID), through his representative Prof. Anise Happi, highlighted the significant strides and challenges faced in genomic sequencing in Nigeria.
Happi identified key challenges as; “Handling the vast data generated by genomic sequencing requires specialized skills.
He said that ACEGRID aimed to extend its work beyond discoveries to practical applications that could save lives, highlighting the importance of overcoming these hurdles for the advancement of genomic research and public health in Nigeria.
Giving an overview of genomic sequencing in Nigeria, Prof. Sunday Omilabu, a Professor of Virologist, said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the advantages of sequencing pathogens of infectious diseases became more apparent than ever.
Omilabu said that the potential was immense: genomic sequencing enables scientists to uncover the mysteries of disease prevention, debunk myths and stigma associated with disease outbreaks,
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He noted that it allows governments to implement real-time, targeted, and often cost-effective interventions.
He said with the ongoing emergence and spread of infectious diseases, there was a need for the country to increase its sequencing capacity and build a critical mass of skilled human resources in the field of pathogen genomics and bioinformatics.
Also speaking, Dr Clement Maseko, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, said that the consortium would play a vital role in bolstering the country’s ability to monitor, respond to, and mitigate the impact of infectious disease threats.
He said that the collective expertise of consortium members would inform evidence-based policymaking related to infectious disease control and prevention.
He also said that collaborative initiatives would provide opportunities for capacity building and knowledge exchange among participating institutions.