Nigeria Unveils Genomic City to Boost Healthcare, Research

ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has unveiled the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-agency initiative to harness the country's genomic resources for healthcare, scientific research and food security, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

Speaking at a high-level stakeholders' meeting in Abuja, Education Minister Dr. Olatunji Alausa described the project as a strategic national investment to position Nigeria as a hub for genomics, biotechnology and precision medicine, according to a statement from his media office. He warned that Nigeria's demographic growth "could become a demographic calamity" without decisive investment in science and innovation.

The University of Abuja will host the Nigeria Genomic City, with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Board for Technology Incubation providing technical support, the ministry said. The Federal Ministry of Education will coordinate implementation.

Professor Mayowa Ojo Owolabi, pioneer director of the Centre for Genomic and Precision Medicine at the University of Ibadan and the project's initiator, said the platform will use artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to drive disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment while safeguarding genomic data through sovereignty and intellectual-property protection.

The government is finalising a National Research and Innovation Development Fund expected to mobilise nearly $500 million annually, Alausa said. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would assent to enabling legislation after Federal Executive Council and National Assembly review.

## Why It Matters

The initiative follows warnings from African scientists that the continent's genomic data has generated outsized value abroad with limited local benefit, a gap the Nigeria Genomic City aims to close through data sovereignty and stronger domestic research capacity.

**Sources** - https://tribuneonlineng.com/fg-unveils-nigeria-genomic-city-to-boost-healthcare-research/

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