Covid-19: Nigerian scientists working on preventive vaccines seek assistance

A group of scientists from different institutions, coordinated by Vice Chancellor, Precious Cornerstone University (PCU), Ibadan, Prof. Kola Oloke, has developed two potential vaccines that can prevent the Coronavirus disease currently ravaging the world.

This was made known on Monday in a statement jointly signed by Oloke, the VC PCU and leaders of the team, Dr Oladipo Kolawole, a Microbiologist, who specialises in Medical Virology (Immunology and Bioinformatics) from Adeleke University, Ede.

Dr Ajayi Folorunsho, a Medical Physiologist with specialization in Pathophysiology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, also signed the statement.

The scientists, who are calling for financial assistance from the government and relevant stakeholders, said they were spurred into action by the need to rise to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to them, the research work has reached an advanced stage of animal trial experiment, which would help to establish the veracity and efficacy of the vaccines for the prevention of the dreaded disease.

“We have worked extensively by exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome from African countries to select the best possible potential vaccine candidates.

“After trying out some selected processes of vaccine development, we have been able to choose the best potential vaccine candidates for the SARS-CoV -2 and they have made the possible latent vaccine constructs,” the scientists said.