UNN, Guangxi Academy of Sciences Secure ₦4.5 Million Yuan Grant for Joint Microbial Technology Laboratory

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the Guangxi Academy of Sciences (GXAS), China, have secured a 4.5 million Chinese Yuan grant to advance their joint research project on Microbial Technology and Innovative Utilisation.

The grant follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two institutions in 2024 and represents a major step towards establishing a joint microbial technology laboratory while strengthening research, innovation and capacity development between Nigeria and China.

The collaborative project is designed to advance research and innovation in microbial technology and create opportunities for researchers and postgraduate students from both institutions to participate in joint scientific activities.

Under the agreement, two components of the joint laboratory will be established, with one located at GXAS in China and the other at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The Chinese side, working with the Shanghai Institute of Biomedical Technology and other technology partners, will contribute to the construction of the UNN laboratory and the development of its microbial technology system.

GXAS will also support the training of personnel who will work in the UNN laboratory, while UNN will provide the laboratory site, personnel, instruments and consumables required for its operation.

Both institutions are expected to share facilities, equipment, research tools, microbial strain libraries and databases to facilitate joint research activities.

The joint laboratory will focus on the study and utilisation of microbial resources obtained from different habitats in Guangxi and Nigeria.

Research areas outlined in the agreement include:

• Collection, preservation and identification of microbial strains.

• Functional screening and application research.

• Exploration of microbial enzymes capable of degrading non-food biomass.

• Development and demonstration of microbial- and enzyme-related products.

The collaboration is considered particularly significant because of the rich biodiversity and diverse ecological environments found in both Guangxi and Nigeria. The agreement identifies the microbial resources available across the two regions as important areas for scientific investigation and technological development.

Beyond the establishment of research infrastructure, the partnership is expected to expand academic exchange between UNN and GXAS.

The agreement provides for exchanges involving researchers, students and members of the joint laboratory’s academic committee. It also includes joint mentorship and training programmes designed to strengthen research capacity and knowledge transfer.

The partnership further provides for workshops involving experts in microbiological research, with the aim of facilitating knowledge sharing and deepening scientific collaboration between the participating institutions.

The joint laboratory is also expected to contribute to the development of high-level technical teams, with particular attention to young and middle-aged researchers as well as postgraduate students.

The UNN coordinating research team for the initiative includes Dr. Arome Solomon Odiba, who is listed as facilitator, alongside other academic researchers from the university.

The agreement marks another step in the University of Nigeria’s efforts under the administration of Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya to expand international research partnerships, strengthen research infrastructure and create opportunities for researchers and students to participate in global scientific collaboration.