The University of Jos (Unijos) has secured a research grant worth over N12,679,804 (€30,000) to track and record incidences of malaria infection in Plateau State using a homegrown Web-Based Information (WBI) software solution that applies Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as part of its disease surveillance system.
The research aims to contribute to the global and national efforts to eradicate malaria among the vulnerable population, especially women and children.
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This was disclosed when a delegation from the Unijos Disease Surveillance Research Team led by its Principal Investigator and former Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Hayward Mafuyai, came to brief the university’s management on the progress made on the research and to also solicit support from the university’s authorities.
Prof Mafuyai explained that Unijos was one of five universities in Nigeria to be awarded the grant due to its antecedents in managing research grants and the decision by the research team to apply a homegrown solution.
He appreciated the university’s management under the leadership of its VC, Prof Tanko Ishaya, for creating an enabling environment for the university to be research-intensive, focusing on solving local problems affecting its immediate communities.
Reacting, Prof Ishaya, who is a member of the research team, disclosed that under his administration, the budgetary provision allocated to research in the university had been increased in order to cater for counterpart funding requirements and other miscellaneous expenses.
He described research as an integral part of the responsibilities of universities which distinguished them from other higher institutions and must therefore be prioritised to serve the citizens better.
The malaria research project, which has a completion period of 12, is being sponsored by the French Embassy through its Cultural Action and Cooperation Service.
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