FUNAAB, Inqaba Biotec Launch Maiden Biotechnology Education Quiz Challenge

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in collaboration with Inqaba Biotec, on February 2, 2026, formally launched the maiden edition of the FUNAAB Biotechnology Education Quiz Challenge 2026, a week-long academic competition designed to strengthen innovation-driven science education and youth capacity development.

Declaring the competition open on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olusegun Idowu, described biotechnology as one of the most transformative scientific disciplines of the 21st century, with critical applications in agriculture, health, industry and environmental sustainability. He reaffirmed FUNAAB’s mandate as Nigeria’s specialised university of agriculture to equip students with a solid blend of theoretical grounding and hands-on scientific competence.

Prof. Idowu explained that the Quiz Challenge was the culmination of several months of structured biotechnology training for undergraduates. He noted that the initiative goes beyond a conventional quiz competition, serving instead as a rigorous academic assessment platform where participants are evaluated through laboratory practicals and oral presentations. According to him, the format is designed to test scientific reasoning, technical proficiency and the ability to apply knowledge to real-world challenges in line with global best practices.

In his welcome address, the Director, Biotechnology Centre and Central Laboratory, Prof. Ayotunde Adebambo, described the initiative as a strategic effort to democratise biotechnology education and identify young scientific talents capable of driving national development. He explained that the undergraduate and secondary school biotechnology quiz was conceived to make biotechnology as accessible and familiar to young people as information technology and artificial intelligence.

Prof. Adebambo stressed that sustainable development depends on equipping the youth with advanced scientific tools and critical thinking skills. He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to promoting academic excellence and rewarding intellectual achievement, while commending Inqaba Biotec for its sustained partnership with FUNAAB. He also disclosed plans to deepen industry engagement through the Triple Helix model, which integrates academia, industry and government.

Representing Inqaba Biotec, Africa’s leading genomics company, Mr. Joseph Olorunbe said he spoke on behalf of the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oliver Preisig, whose commitment to science education continues to drive the company’s support for similar initiatives across Africa and Switzerland. He described the partnership with FUNAAB as mutually beneficial and aligned with Inqaba Biotec’s vision of strengthening research capacity across the continent.

Mr. Olorunbe traced the company’s origin to Dr. Preisig’s postgraduate experience in South Africa, where limited access to molecular biology tools inspired the establishment of a firm dedicated to producing and supplying essential reagents, instruments and diagnostics within Africa. He noted that Inqaba Biotec, now over two decades old, supplies reagents and equipment for cloning, gene expression analysis, metagenomics and molecular diagnostics, while also providing services such as Sanger sequencing in Nigeria.

He further revealed that plans were underway to ensure that metagenomics analyses would be conducted entirely within Nigeria before the end of the year, eliminating the need for outsourcing abroad. He also highlighted the company’s regular capacity-building programmes in basic and advanced molecular biology and encouraged students and researchers to take advantage of upcoming trainings.

Speaking as a member of the judging panel, Emerita Professor Olufunmilayo Adebambo described the Quiz Challenge as a well-structured academic exercise that effectively integrates theory with laboratory competence. She urged participants to approach the competition with discipline, focus and integrity, assuring them of a transparent and objective assessment process.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors, and Dean of the College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), Prof. Emmanuel Fakoya, assured that the one-week-long competition would be conducted strictly in line with the University’s examination guidelines, emphasising professionalism, transparency and zero tolerance for misconduct.

The maiden competition features four participants: Alade Omotayo of the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics (COLANIM); Olanrewaju Esther Oluwadamilola of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management (COLAMRUD); Ijelu Temitope Joyce of Animal Breeding and Genetics (COLANIM); and Erinsho Elizabeth Mosinmiloluwa of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Ibadan. The participants are being assessed by an eminent panel of judges, including Emerita Prof. Olufunmilayo Adebambo, Prof. Akinola Popoola and Prof. Bolatito Shittu, among others.