Africa Centre of Excellence
for
Neglected Tropical Diseases
and Forensic Biotechnology
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Briefs on Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Parameter
Year of Establishment
Value
1962
No of Academic Faculties
12
No of Academic Departments
83
No of Research Institutes
5
No of Specialized Centers
10
No of Affiliated Colleges/Polytechnics
27
No of Universities nurtured
2
Aerial View of a Section of the University
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)
large and diverse group of diseases that
disproportionately
affect
health
and
livelihood of the poor in the developing world
typically lack attention and funding for
research and development.
Challenges
Insufficient knowledge of the distribution and burden
of NTDs, since there is no available database on the
distribution of NTDs in Nigeria.
Lack of appropriate diagnostic tools
Lack of effective drugs and treatment failures due to
the emergence of resistant strains of pathogens.
Absence of suitable vaccines and other preventive
strategies such as vector control or other measures
to disrupt the life cycle of the pathogens
African trypanosomiasis
disease that is resurgent in Africa
contributing to heavy economic losses and
socio-political crisis in the continent.
In human trypanosomiasis the parasites
ultimately invade the brain, resulting in the
disease syndrome known as sleeping
sickness.
 In Africa, trypanosomiasis occurs in 37
countries, extending to over 10 million square
kilometres, a third of the continent.
 It is estimated that 50 million cattle (about 30%
of Africa's total cattle population) are exposed to
the risk of infection.
 In Nigeria and the West African sub-region the
distribution of the different Trypanosoma species
is unknown
Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)
 also known as elephantiasis in humans, is a
disabling, disfiguring, and stigmatizing disease
caused by the infection with nematodes.
 The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and
has socio-economic burden in the rural poor
communities in tropical and sub-tropical
countries.
 One billion of the world population are at risk in
over 80 countries.
In Africa, LF affects over 40 million people
in the sub-Saharan region where the
prevalence in some communities in East
Africa exceed 30%.
In Nigeria, no available reliable data on LF
burden exist, due to lack of a database on
the distribution of this NTD
Diagnosis
• Clinically, diagnosis can be made on
circumstantial evidence with support from
antibody or other laboratory assays such
as immune-chromatographic test, which is
not very reliable
• This calls for the use of more sensitive,
species specific and stage-independent
diagnostic molecular tools.
Rabies
• highly fatal viral zoonosis caused by members of
the genus Lyssavirus, characterised by
encephalomyelitis.
 At least 55,000 people die annually from rabies
worldwide and over 90% result following
transmission after a dog bite.
 The burden of rabies lies heavily in the
developing world with over 40% in Africa.
 In these regions, the main reservoir is the
domestic dog.
 The population of the reservoirs is increasing,
stray dogs are common on the streets and
owned dogs are poorly catered for.
 Human exposure following a dog bite exposes
about 10,000 people to rabies annually in
Nigeria and capacity for accurate diagnosis of
the disease is limited
Rabies is grossly underreported especially in
the regions with the highest disease burden
and
the extent of spread and the genotypes
responsible for the diseases are not fully
known
• All these challenges in NTDs require
expertise in molecular biotechnology.
• Such expertise is urgently needed in
the private and public sectors, such
as Forensic science.
Forensic Science
• The West African region is faced with lots
of challenges ranging from
– crimes,
– organized kidnap by criminal gangs and
– immigration issues
Forensics
 disasters emanating from wars, fire out breaks,
air and road accidents, makes it difficult for
relations to identify family members culminating
into mass burial.
 The increasing difficulty to resolve murder and
paternity problems and claims to different
genealogies, has
 diminished our ranking in modern science, and
 our ability to exploit current developments in the
resolution of social challenges.
Academic and Research Programs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Biotechnology
Diploma in Entomology
MSc Biotechnology
PhD Biotechnology
MSc/PhD Biochemistry
MSc/PhD Biological Sciences
MSc/PhD Veterinary Public Health
MSc/PhD Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Regional Student Plan
• Provision of Accommodation waivers
• Provision of Reagents and Infrastructure
• Joint supervision
Industry/Sector Partnership
•
•
•
•
•
Nigerian Police and Interpol
INEC
Helen Keller Foundation
African Program on Onchocerciasis Control
Dairy Industries
Sustainable Financing Plan
• Consultancy with Security Agencies
• School fees
• Partnership with Industries (Vaccines,
Animal production)
Implementation Arrangements
Existence of Monitoring and Evaluation Office
on Revised Plan (lessons from World Bank
Step B)
Steering Committee
International Advisory Board
Procurement Arrangements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Finance Officer, Accountant, Auditor
Procurement Act of the FGN
Rules and Regulations of the World Bank
Sourcing
National Competitive Bidding (NCB)
International Competitive Bidding (ICB)
Proposal Information
The aims of the proposed African Centre for
Excellence (ACE) are:
(i) to conduct research on Neglected
Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and
(ii) to use the expertise in molecular
techniques applied in NTD research for
capacity building in other fields such as
forensic biotechnology
The project has a head start as project
Partners already have preliminary information that
TS genes are developmentally regulated in
Trypanosomes
This knowledge will cut down on the selection of
potential epitopes for the construction of DNA based
vaccines
A complementary objective of the
Consortium is
to deploy its competences in the area of
recombinant DNA technology to capacity
building in the area of Forensic biotechnology.
 One of the Work Packages focuses on this
priority and includes several specific training
modules
Capacity building
At least 100 personnel will be trained in
24 months skilled in the use of PCR in the
delineation of paternity disputes, and crime
intelligence and Gene bank documentation
Key selected Disbursement Linked
Indicators (selected DLIs)
• 35 % M.Sc. and PhD Students-regional
from 2015-2018
• 25 publications in Elsevier rated Journals
• International accreditation :
– Thompson,
– DAAD
– Spanish Medical Research Council
– Shanghai
Number/ % (Indicator Definition: Count of non –
national students in new ACE courses
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
0
(They are new
programmes
starting in
2014)
20 Non-Nat:
[12 Males ; 37
Nat [23 Male;
15 Female 8
Females ]
87 Nat [57
Males; 30
Females] 44
Non Nat [30
Males ; 14
Females ]
157 Nat[102
Males ; 55
Females] 68
Non Nat [41
Males ; 27
Females]
215 Nat [ 140
Males; 75
Females] 95
Non Nat[57
Males ; 38
Females]
Internationally (regionally/sub-regionally) accredited
education programs (→ Training Quality)
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
0
(programmer
s currently
run in the
institution
have only
national
accreditation
certificates)
0
2
4
6
No of faculty trained in an area relevant to the ACE-Programme,
through training carried out by or organized through the ACEs
(→ Training Quality)
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
0 (None yet; it
is a new
Project,
commencing in
2014)
6 Nat [4
Males; 2
Females] 3
Non Nat [ 2
Males; 1
Female]
11 Nat [8
Males ; 3
Females] 5
Non Nat [3
Males ; 2
Females]
10 Nat [ 7
Males ; 3
Females] 5
Non Nat [ 3
Males ; 2
Females]
11 Nat [ 7
Males ; 4
Females] 7
Non Nat [ 3
Males; 4
Females]
% of non-national students studying for at least 1
semester/ academic term in ACEs, in a discipline
supported through the ACE-Programme (→Regionality
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
2% Non Nat
(2); 2%(2) [of
which Female;
0%( 0)] Nat
98% (98) [of
which females:
35%(35)]
7% Non Nat
(4); 7%(4) [of
which
Female;25%(
1)] Nat 93%
(53) [of which
females:
35%(20)]
9% Non Nat (12);
9%(12) [of which
Female;30%( 4)]
Nat 91% (121)
[of which
females:
35%(46)]
10% Non Nat
(22); 10%(22)
[of which
Female; 30%(
7)] Nat 90%
(198) [of which
females:
35%(70)]
10% Non Nat
(31); 10%(31)
[of which
Female;
35%(11)] Nat
90% (279) [of
which females:
35%(97)]
Organogram
Key ACE Partners in the Region
 Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research
(NITR)
 Nigerian Medical Research Institute (NIMR)
 University of Ngaoundere (Cameroun)
 Institute for Agricultural Research for
Development Cameroon
International Collaborators Outside the Region
 University of Bremen (University of Excellence in
Germany)
 Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC, Atlanta, USA)
 Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
 University of Western Cape, South Africa
 Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki
University, Japan
Core Team Members
Prof A J Nok
Dr M H
Inuwa
Prof JA
Kwaga
Prof I S
Ndams
Dr N Useh
Dr H
Makum
Dr K Junaidu
Dr A Dzikwi
Prof YKE
Ibrahim
Prof M Mamman
(NITOR)
Prof K Soerge
(Bremen)
Prof I Ujah and
Dr S Smith
(NMRI, Lagos)
Prof J Almog
(Israel)
Dr Achuki
(Ngaoundere)
Prof S Davison
(South Africa)