UNILAG to Upgrade Bioinformatics Learning Hub into Full Research Institute

By Oki Floral

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has announced plans to expand its current Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Learning Hub into a full-fledged research institute.

The Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, Professor Ganiyu Oyetibo, disclosed this on October 6 during a two-day bioinformatics capacity-building workshop for life scientists.

According to Oyetibo, the faculty is currently developing the required curriculum and pursuing international collaborations to facilitate the transition.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Matthew Ilori, stated that the expansion will equip researchers to tackle specific societal challenges and build on the university’s recent designation as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution in the 2027 Times Higher Education rankings.

Ilori noted that advances in technology make it imperative for academics to continuously adapt to emerging methodologies.

He challenged participants to conduct research that directly responds to national needs, overcoming human-resource gaps caused by recent brain drain.

The learning hub, which serves as the foundation for the new institute, was established by the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics and Research, Professor Bola Oboh.

In her remarks, Oboh explained that the capacity-building workshop was conceived to expose participants to emerging opportunities in computational biology.

She encouraged researchers to use these new tools to question existing knowledge, explore new areas of inquiry, and break new ground in the biological sciences.