Date: 2014-09-01

The University of Ilorin says it will soon establish a Virology complex to conduct researches on Ebola virus (EBOV) and how to contain its spread.

Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, Vice Chancellor of the university said on Sunday in Abuja that the institution would also provide community service on viral diseases.

He said that the Senate of the institution set up a committee on Ebola recently in recognised of the university's responsibility in conducting researches and offering community development services.

"Just last week we met and decided that we (Senate) should have a functional virology complex where we will assemble all our virologists within the University of Ilorin.

"We want to empower them within that complex to have a befitting laboratory and enough consumables to carryout research.

"We want to give them the necessary capacity and train them so that they will be able to carry out research on some of these communicable viral infections.

"The senate also decided that we should set up an Ebola Senate Committee where all our human resources could be assembled and challenged to educate not only the university community, but the community around the University of Ilorin.

"Apart from Ebola, we have Lassa fever, we have HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis C are there, so we are very concerned about that aspect of our responsibility.

"We want to devote some amount of money in the training of more virologists because there is a shortage of virologists all over the country.

"Anywhere you go across the length and breadth of this country, you can count the number of virologists that exist in Nigeria which means that there should be concerted effort to train more virologists.

"University of Ilorin will surely contribute to make sure that we have a centre that could be relied upon by the government," he said.

He said that members of the Ebola committee set up by the university were drawn from the College of Medicine and Agriculture.

In terms of community service, Ambali said that the university now publish regularly on its website and on its weekly bulletin information on Ebola to educate readers.

"Now every week through our university bulletin which comes up every week and through our website, we have Ebola information where you can read and educate yourself on Ebola.

"Very soon, there will be community awareness within Ilorin and its environs to sensitise and educate the people on how they can fight Ebola," he said.