There are lessons to learn from COVID-19

Prof. Luke Anike, the Vice-Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), speaks with some selected journalists about the institution’s innovation drive, especially the production of hand sanitisers by the University Biotechnology Research Centre for the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic, among other strides. KENNETH OFOMA was there

The university Biotechnology Research Centre has just come out with production of hand sanitisers. Could you shed more light on this project and the motivation for it?

Well, let me first and foremost express our gratitude to you for coming to our university to see what we are doing under the present uncharitable circumstances of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We are doing this in order to help the state and nation ease and tackle the challenges posed by this pandemic. When the issue of COVID-19 was highlighted and people began to embark on some activities that should help in stemming the pandemic, our university did not want to be the last on the line.

So, we decided to challenge one of the units of our university, that is, the Biotechnology Research Centre, which we had already reactivated, to come up with something tangible. The Centre took up this challenge and informed me that they could produce sanitisers as an immediate response to the problem of coronavirus in the country, which is ravaging the world at large.

Thus, we decided to give it a trial. And, that is why we are here today to see the efforts we have put in in order to help our community to be protected from the spread of this virus.

The Centre immediately swung into action and they were able to mass produce the sanitisers we are all seeing here today.

However, necessity, they say is the mother of invention. The advent of coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has led to flurry of activities and inventions by individuals and institutions on ways to stemming the pandemic. Our university, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) is not left out. The institution, therefore, is proud to invite journalists to the unveiling of the hand sanitisers produced by our Biotechnology Research Centre.

Do you intend to expand the production and possibly commercialise it in future?

We are looking forward to producing this en mass so that even when the coronavirus quarantine period is gone, and hopefully soon, and by the time our students come back to the campus we will be able to embark on mass production and distribute to our students, staff and other members of the university community in order to protect our environment, students and staff members.

In fact, we are looking forward to when that will be and we will be able to distribute it to ensure that no one brings in what is not on our campus to here, while nobody would also be expected to take anything here out to the public.

So, this is our modest effort and we will be growing from this. I am very happy that in your tight schedule you decided to come and see what we are doing here as our own contribution to community service, which is one of our cardinal objectives as a university, and especially as a University of Science and Technology for that matter.

Recently, the state governor released N320 million to curtail the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Has the university approached the state government for funds to boost the research on sanitiser production?

Well, we will be very happy to have part of the money because as you can see, we are already moving ahead with the production of the sanitiser. But, on the proposal to the state government to apply for funds, we had already done that. Like, I said we sent in proposal to the government based on what the university can do to stem this pandemic.

Of course, we are still waiting for government’s response and once they study the proposal, we expect the government to invite or call us so that we can expand our production.

What lessons do you think the nation could learn from this pandemic, especially as it affects the educational system of the country?

Without being immodest, we have many lessons to learn from what is happening throughout the world with the coronavirus pandemic, which has gradually come into our space. But, we hope and pray it does not come in the same manner it has come to some countries. That is why we are very alert to whatever we can do to demobilise the spread of the pandemic so that our community will be safe.

You mentioned that this Centre was recently reactivated. It is because of this emergency?

This Centre was established a long time ago. Of course, in 2016, as part of determination and efforts to rejig the university in terms of learning and research infrastructure and in order to be alive to our responsibilities, we reactivated the Biotechnology Research Centre. So, it is not as a result of the current outbreak or problem. The research centre has been there and has been doing a lot of things in the areas of innovation and research outputs.

Well, I wouldn’t know whether the Director of the Centre took you through some of the things we are doing? In fact, with that you will be able to see that it is not just a response to this immediate emergency, but a Centre that is well established to look at the totality of the environment and gradually pick up areas of need to further enhance the relevance of a university to a community such as this. That is what we are doing here. We have other Research Centres doing things within their own realm of activities to support the university and the communities within the university environment.

Institutions of higher learning are expected to be relevant in solving societal problems and thus research units such as this should be active at all times, not only during emergencies. But, is the university system really living up to that expectation, especially at this emergency?

In fact, the major challenge we have is lack of electricity and some other infrastructure to enable the Centre to produce in large quantity and at optimal capacity. What I know is that the university is doing a lot about this to surmount the challenges?

The university is spending a huge amount of money towards paying for power supply through the National Grid, as well as in purchasing generators, maintaining them as well as buying of diesel to support the system and energise our process. It will interest you to know that we are spending a lot of resources on these to stay afloat.

But, that does not say that we cannot support this area of production; we will do whatever we can to ensure that power is restored on campus so that we can do what we should do such as production of sanitiser en mass. However, we are aware of these challenges and the role of the university to take a front row in solving societal problems, and I can tell you with all confidence that we are doing something in this direction