Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting the Biomedical Research and Training Centre in its efforts to find a lasting solution to the widespread kidney disease affecting the state.
Speaking in Damaturu on Sunday after receiving an interim report from the centre’s founder and director, Professor Mahmoud Maina Bukar, Governor Buni described the research as a crucial wake-up call for both the government and the people.
“This research is a wake-up call, and we are committed to seeing it through to its logical conclusion,” Buni said. “We are determined to end this menace, no matter the cost, in order to save our people.”
Professor Mahmoud explained that the centre is currently hosting the fifth Summer School on Computational Neuroscience, which includes both local and international participants. He noted that 50 experts from around the world are involved in the ongoing research.
The study analyzed 2,000 samples collected from Bade and Damaturu local government areas. Initial findings show a high rate of kidney disease risk among fishermen in Bade.
Prof. Mahmoud, who also serves as the governor’s honorary special adviser on Research and Innovation, praised Governor Buni for funding what he described as the largest state-sponsored disease research project in Africa.
He added that the second phase of the study would explore the causes of the disease in greater detail.
He expressed confidence that collaboration with international research institutions would help provide effective solutions to the kidney disease crisis in Yobe.
Also speaking at the event, Professor Miguel Marravel, Deputy Head of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, commended Governor Buni for his investment in science and innovation.
He assured that international partners would continue supporting the Yobe research centre in its efforts to address the disease.
