Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has commended an international team of scientists and researchers for their efforts to find lasting solutions to kidney and other diseases through cutting-edge biomedical research in the state.
A statement from the press secretary to the Deputy Governor, Hussaini Mai Sule said the governor made the commendation when he received a delegation from the Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC), led by its founder, Professor Mahmud Bukar Maina, at the Government House, Damaturu.
Professor Maina, a researcher at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, and a member of the higher education non-governmental organisation, Teaching and Research in Natural Sciences for Development (TRenD in Africa), facilitated the Second BioRTC Computational Neuroscience Summer School, an international training programme that attracts resource persons from the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Japan, France and other countries.
Represented by his deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana (Wazirin), the governor described the team’s commitment to scientific research as timely and invaluable, particularly their work towards addressing the persistent kidney disease affecting communities in northern Yobe.
He said the government and people of Yobe would remain grateful for the researchers’ dedication to finding a lasting solution to the health challenge, noting that their efforts would significantly contribute to improving healthcare delivery and public health outcomes in the state.
Governor Buni reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting education, research and innovation, stressing that government support extends beyond BioRTC to the overall development of Yobe State University, where investments in research infrastructure and academic excellence are already yielding measurable results.
He particularly praised Professor Maina for his scientific leadership, resilience and unwavering commitment to capacity building, describing him as an inspiration to young researchers in Nigeria and beyond.
The governor urged the team to sustain its research efforts and utilise its expertise to help eradicate chronic kidney disease and other health challenges confronting the people of the state.
The leader of the delegation, Professor Maina has while speaking said they were in Yobe to assess the progress of BioRTC and participate in the second edition of the Computational Neuroscience Summer School organised by the centre in collaboration with leading international institutions, including the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, and IDIBAPS, Spain.
He said the programme has rapidly grown into one of Africa’s most competitive scientific training initiatives, attracting nearly 400 applications annually from young scientists across the continent.
Also speaking, the team leader, Professor Miguel Maravall, Deputy Head of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, said the initiative had already produced remarkable outcomes, with two young scientists from Yobe selected for advanced research training at Professor Albert Compte’s laboratory at IDIBAPS in Barcelona, Spain.
Professor Maravall commended Governor Buni for his foresight in establishing and supporting BioRTC, describing the centre as a world-class research facility equipped to advance scientific innovation and strengthen biomedical research in Africa.
