Nigeria’s search for a solution to the challenge of non-availability and high cost of coronavirus diagnostic kits has paid off with the development of RNASwift Extraction kit.
This was disclosed by the director general of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof Alex Akpa at a media briefing held in Abuja yesterday.
He said the RNASwift test kit would not only revolutionalise Africa’s PCR-Based COVID-19 testing but will also expand the capacity by 50 times at least.
Akpa, a professor, also said it would equally reduce cost by over 500 per cent as compared to the conventional kit in use.
“This meets the demands of the Test Africa Initiative. The kits will be produced in Nigeria, which is great news considering that it will enable preference to be given to the testing needs of Africa.
“The need for the invention was conceived by the request from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), to test five million farmers and farmhands.
“This was to ensure that our food security chain was not compromised by COVID-19,’’ the D-G said.
According to him, the RNASwift test kit is an indigenous diagnostic test kit designed, developed and validated in Nigeria for the identification of the causal agent, SARS-Cov-2, which causes COVID-19.
He noted that the diagnostic kit is “very accurate and sensitive’’ and competes favourably with conventional and commercially available kits for the diagnosis of COVID-19.
“This is in addition to a careful choice of reagents that are human and environmentally friendly in the development of the protocol for the diagnostic kit.
“In fact, the attributes of the RNASwift kits make it a game-changer in the design and production of diagnostic kits for infectious diseases in the face of an epidemic or a pandemic,’’ Akpa said.
He further said that the project was made possible due to the scientific collaboration between the NABDA, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR).
Akpa added that the technical support team of the University of Sheffield, led by Alison Nwokeoji, also made the project successful.
In his speech at the briefing, the minister of science and technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu recalled that the first index case of COVID-19 was recorded in Nigeria on February 27.
Onu said he had tasked Nigerian scientists to come up with a solution with a N36 million pledge.
The minister said Nigerians are creative and talented enough to develop homegrown solutions to major challenges confronting the country, Africa and the world, with the RNASwift test kit as an example.
“Today, the RNASwift extraction kit developed by Nigerian scientists has capacity at an accurate, sensitive and affordable cost to detect SARS-Cov2, the causative agent of COVID-19.
“With the RNASwift test kit, we are going to test five million farmers, and the new test kit will reduce cost drastically,” Onu said.
He hinted that the African Development Bank was interested in it, not only as a Test Africa Initiative but that Nigeria should be the rallying point.
Similarly, he said the other African countries stood to benefit from the test kits due to the low cost.
“I want to confirm to you that the RNASwift product team is in consultation with the African Development Bank for the funding of an African-wide testing programme for COVID-19 and the establishment for RNASwift production in Nigeria,” he added.
He described the development of the testing kit as “Nigeria’s gift and contribution to help Africa and the world fight the Covid-19 pandemic”, adding that by encouraging Nigerian scientists and innovators, the country has the capacity to find solutions to global challenges.
“The minister noted that the development of the test kit was as a result of careful planning and strategic investments of the Ministry’s departments and agencies.
He commended the federal ministries of agriculture and finance, as well as the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Sheffield University, scientists and the organised private sector (OPS) for their collaborative efforts in the development of the testing kits.
Also speaking at the event, the minister of agriculture and rural development, Mr. Sabo Nanono, said the test kit invented and developed was very critical to the present situation of insufficient test kits.
He said his ministry was in the forefront when it came to food security, adding that with the invention and successful validation of the test kit, it was time for Nigerians to look inwards.
“We have talents and we need to develop and build on these talents, we will realise our target of testing five million farmers and Nigerians would be proud of these test kits,” Nanono said.
He applauded NABDA for the project, saying the success of the test kit was a milestone recorded in the FMST.
Over 400 health workers contract COVID-19
No fewer than 400 health workers have tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
The national chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Ms. Joy Josiah Biobelemoye, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the flag off ceremony for the distribution of Personal Protective Equipments PPEs to State councils of the union.
However, he said that despite the spike in infections, health workers would not relent in protecting the citizens.
He noted that the situation on ground called for drastic solutions, hence the decision of the union to take it upon itself to distribute PPEs to her members.
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19 over 400 members of JOHESU have been infected by coronavirus. We also need to support our own members who are working and sacrificing their lives for the generality of Nigerians,” Biobelemoye stated.
Among PPEs to be distributed across 38 state councils of the union are 50,000 pieces of face masks, 15,200 pieces of sanitizers, 2000 pieces of disinfectants and 1,200 pieces of hand wash.
Also speaking, Mr. Aliyu Mohammed, director of human resources who represented permanent secretary, ministry of health, Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi, said the challenge thrown up in by COVID-19 in the health sector had become overwhelming, hence the federal government was appreciative of any donations made by public spirited Nigerians towards curbing the pandemic.
“The emergence of Covid-19 has changed the way we live our lives and the health system in general, such that even the developed countries have been overwhelmed, talk less of Nigeria.
“The virus has affected the economy drastically, hence government cannot meet all the challenges that has been thrown up; that is why we welcome such donations by the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.
“We have many frontline health workers taking up these challenges on behalf of other Nigerians and the federal government is always appreciative of these efforts. So, we crave your understanding and more support to improve on our health care delivery in the country,” he said.
With NAN report
