MTN Partners with NIMR for Oligo-Synthesis Lab

MTN Partners with NIMR for Oligo-Synthesis Lab

The on-going pandemic has made it imperative for nations to be self-sufficient in the design, development, and deployment of reliable testing kits to respond effectively and timely in any outbreak situation.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and as MTN Nigeria’s contributions to strengthening the health system particularly research institutions, we collaborated with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in establishing an Oligosynthesiser laboratory. This took place on the 13th of August, 2021 at the NIMR Auditorium in Yaba, Lagos state.

The Oligo-Synthesizer is an equipment that allows for the local development of primers for the indigenous production of test kits for COVID-19 and other outbreak diseases. Utilised to its full potential, the lab will contribute significantly to the quality of medical research and development in Nigeria and West Africa. It will drastically reduce the cost of COVID-19 pandemic response by making test kits cheaper to produce, save lives through timely and affordable testing and build local capacity in this area.

The project scope covers the supply of complete accessories for the Oligo-synthesiser and two years’ worth of reagents. In addition, it caters to the provision of support and maintenance services for the equipment and accessories for a period of one year and training of the technical staff of NIMR.

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