By Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia (FUTHLafia), has established a Vaccine Research Centre in a move aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported vaccines and boosting Africa’s fight against infectious diseases.
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The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Ikrama Hassan, who spoke to Daily Sun on the project on Monday, said the centre is designed to develop home-grown vaccines for diseases such as Lassa fever, yellow fever, and other emerging health threats.
“This is not just a scientific project. It is about sovereignty,” Hassan said. “When your community suffers outbreaks every year, you cannot continue relying on imported solutions. You must build capacity to protect your people, and that means research, innovation, and local vaccine production.”
The CMD explained that the idea for the facility was conceived in 2019 but was stalled by bureaucracy and funding challenges until 2025, when the hospital convened a Vaccine Research Retreat in Abuja to chart a roadmap for vaccine self-sufficiency.
He added that the centre, which will operate in partnership with Innovative Biotech, Abuja, and on a verge of collaborating with the Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training (CAMRET), Sokoto, would first focus on producing a locally tested vaccine candidate for Lassa fever.
“The epidemiology of Lassa fever here is different from Sierra Leone or Liberia,” Hassan said. “Local vaccine development means we can target the strains and conditions we see most often, making the product more effective for our population.”
The CMD also announced that FUTHLafia, in collaboration with the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), would introduce a Master of Vaccinology programme to train a new generation of African scientists.
“This will help us retain talent that might otherwise migrate in search of opportunities abroad,” he noted.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), less than one per cent of vaccines used on the continent are produced locally. The agency has set a target for Africa to produce 60 per cent of its vaccines by 2040.
Hassan, however, expressed optimism that FUTHLafia will play a significant role in meeting that target.
“I was born here, and I have seen the pain preventable diseases bring to our families,” he said. “This centre is not just a hospital project; it is a promise to my community and my country.”
Reacting on the importance on the importance of thr project, The Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Biotech, Dr. Simon Agwale, described the project as a game-changer.
“In Nigeria, we don’t have institutions that can generate the early-stage data needed for vaccine development,” Agwale said. “Without this, we will always depend on others. This centre is a step towards vaccine sovereignty.”
On his part, Prof. Mustapha Imam, a molecular biologist at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said the facility would strengthen Africa’s response to health emergencies.
“Infections know no borders. Africa, and particularly Nigeria, faces a heavy burden from both endemic and emerging diseases,” Imam stated. “Establishing this centre is a visionary step towards changing that narrative, not just for Nigeria, but for Africa and the world.”
Also speaking to our Correspondent Dr. Abdulmumini Lawal, a molecular biologist at FULAFIA who is part of the project said the initiative aligns with the African Union’s goal of achieving 60 per cent vaccine self-sufficiency by 2040.
“This centre will develop, test, and deploy vaccines tailored to Africa’s unique needs, reducing reliance on imports and positioning Nigeria as a leader in biomedical innovation,” Lawal said.
Similarly, Dr. Mahmud Dalhat, an epidemiologist with the Kaduna Centres for Disease Control in a phone interview with our corespondent said vaccines have remained the most effective tool against epidemic diseases.
“The Vaccine Research Centre will contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal on access to safe and affordable medicines and vaccines for all,” he said.
Sun gatge public health policy expert from Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Nasir Yusuf, who attended the Abuja retreat, described the project as critical to Nigeria’s national security.
“The Lafia centre is a step towards Nigeria owning its immunisation destiny,” Yusuf said. “It’s not just about saving lives; it’s about economic stability and intellectual independence.”
Despite its prospects, Hassan admitted the centre faces challenges of funding, brain drain, and slow regulatory approvals.
“We cannot pretend there won’t be challenges,” he said. “But every delay in starting is another year of vulnerability for our people. That is why we must begin, even if we grow in stages.”
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