This deadly disease called Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is currently ravaging China. While the scourge continues to extend to other parts of World, there are major concerns that this disease could cause more harms.
Presently, Nigeria is one of those countries that is already looking at the possible ways to prevent the disease from making a devastating entry to Nigeria. The symptoms of Coronavirus is similar to Ebola and Spanish Flu which killed over 500,000,000 people many years ago.
Interestingly, if any scientists, researchers and medical practitioners in Nigeria finds cure for this deadly disease, such person stands a chance to win a N36m cash prize for coronavirus. This also includes Lassa fever, another deadly disease too killing people in Nigeria.
Lassa fever is a seasonal disease that usually breaks out in parts of Nigeria during the dry season and most infections usually result in death.
Speaking on Thursday at an event held to mark the retirement from service of A. O. Oyesefo, a former director of the Department of Chemical Technology, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said, “I challenge all Nigerian scientists to go out and find cures for coronavirus and Lassa fever.
“Any scientist that is able to do this will be given N36m.”
“There is nothing that we want to do that we can’t do. Nigeria will be making contributions to the world.”
He added, “We want our scientists to know that we place value on them. We want them to know that they are important. If you don’t do things like this, the scientists will think we don’t value them.
“Research takes a lot of time and energy, and we will be very happy to fulfil our pledge.
“This prize is open to the universities; it is also open to private laboratories and research institutes.”