By Muhammad Sani Muazu
A lecturer at Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi, Dr. Abdullahi Adamu Faggo, has appealed to the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to support the establishment of a state-of-the-art Biotechnology Centre in the institution to enhance research and academic excellence.
In a public post on his Facebook page, Dr. Faggo noted that although he had never sought personal favour from politicians, he found it necessary to make this request for the benefit of the state-owned institution under the leadership of Vice Chancellor, Professor Fatimah Tahir.
Dr. Faggo emphasised that the proposed Biotechnology Centre, if established, should comprise modern laboratories including a Molecular Laboratory, Bioremediation and Biomonitoring Laboratory, Reference Microbiology Laboratory, Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Bioprocessing and Biomaterials Laboratory, Virology Laboratory, and a Genomics/Transcriptomics/Proteomics Laboratory.
He suggested that the Genomics/Transcriptomics/Proteomics Laboratory should ideally operate as an independent unit under a Bioinformatics Centre. However, he noted that housing it within the Biotechnology Centre would still be a significant achievement.
According to him, the absence of such facilities has compelled postgraduate students, especially those conducting research involving molecular tools, to travel to Kano or Kaduna to carry out laboratory analyses due to limited resources at the university.
“This centre is of great importance. It will significantly support postgraduate students in conducting quality research across various fields,” he wrote.
Dr. Faggo explained that students across several faculties stand to benefit from the centre, particularly those in Life Sciences (Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences), Medical Sciences (Nursing Science, Pharmacy), and Basic Medical Sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology).
He added that beyond supporting students and boosting research capacity, the centre would also serve as a revenue source for both the university and the state, as students and researchers from across the country—especially Northern Nigeria—would patronize the facility.
Dr. Faggo further stated that the university already has qualified experts capable of running the centre effectively, naming Dr. Umar Ahmad (Baba Saraki), Dr. Adamu Idris Matinja, and Dr. Ibrahim Musa Moi among others as examples.
He appealed to individuals close to the governor to help convey the message and ensure attention to the request.