From Wednesday, January 28 to Friday, January 30, 2026, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, hosted Professor Georg Holländer, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Oxford, Director of the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), and Medical Director of the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering (BIIE), Basel, Switzerland, on his first official visit to Nigeria.
The three-day engagement was designed to explore opportunities for meaningful collaboration among academia, industry, and a global research institution, with a shared commitment to advancing child health through innovative, affordable, and locally relevant healthcare solutions, particularly for low- and middle-income settings.
Day One: Bridging Academia and Industry – Visit to FIDSON Healthcare Ltd
The engagement commenced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with a visit to FIDSON Healthcare Ltd, Ota, Ogun State. Professor Ogunsola led Professor Holländer on the visit, accompanied by the Director, Academic Planning Unit, Professor Matthew Ilori.
The delegation was received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FIDSON Healthcare Ltd, Mr. Biola Adebayo, a UNILAG alumnus, alongside members of his management team, including Nmaka Tijani (Associate Director, Quality and Regulatory Affairs), Abibatu Ariori (Head, Factory Operations), Temitope Akindele (Corporate Services Manager), Oyenike Makinde (Quality Control Manager), and Odiakachukwu Okoh (Deputy Compliance Manager).
In his remarks, Mr. Adebayo reflected on the Vice-Chancellor’s early support during his formative professional years and affirmed FIDSON’s commitment to supporting collaborative initiatives.
Professor Ogunsola, who is also on the Foundation Board of the BIIE, outlined the purpose of the visit, highlighting discussions around local vaccine production for children, academia-industry partnerships, internship and sabbatical opportunities, and potential areas of synergy between FIDSON and the BIIE.
Professor Holländer explained the scientific motivation behind his visit, noting that much of global immunology research is based on narrow demographic datasets that do not reflect global diversity. He cited findings from his research indicating significant variations in children’s immune responses to vaccines across different geographical locations, including Lagos, London, and Brazil. These insights, he explained, informed the establishment of the BIIE to study immune systems across diverse populations and develop better diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies that are affordable and accessible, particularly in the Global South.
He also highlighted the high cost of antibody therapies—often exceeding $1,500 per dose—and BIIE’s ambition to dramatically reduce these costs, potentially to as low as $10, thereby transforming access to life-saving treatments.
Responding, Mr. Adebayo emphasized the immense potential of local vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria but noted that such investments require strong government support and assurances from international bodies such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure sustainability.
The visit featured detailed presentations on FIDSON’s 43-acre, 30-year-old facility and health & safety by Mrs. Ariori and Mr. Okoh respectively; followed by a guided factory tour by Mrs. Tijani. The delegation commended the company’s scale of operations, automation, quality assurance processes, safety culture, and commitment to social responsibility. The visit concluded with expressions of mutual respect and optimism, capped by a group photograph.
Day Two: Advancing Pharmaceutical Innovation – Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG
On Thursday, January 29, 2026, Professor Holländer visited the Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG, accompanied by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Bola Oboh, and representatives of FIDSON Healthcare Ltd.
The delegation was welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor S. A. Adesegun; sub-Dean, Dr. O. O. Shonekan; Heads of Departments, and faculty members. The visit highlighted the Faculty’s MedAfrica Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory, developed under the leadership of Dr. Margaret Ilomuanya with support from Jeiven Pharmaceuticals and the Population Council, New York.
Dr. Ilomuanya described the laboratory’s role in pioneering pharmaceutical research, including the development of the first non-hormonal contraceptive gel, now marketed in the United States. She emphasized the facility’s focus on clinical trials, product stability in diverse climates, and innovations tailored to Sub-Saharan Africa’s needs.
Discussions during the visit addressed Nigeria’s evolving pharmaceutical landscape, increasing confidence in locally manufactured medicines, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to strengthen local production capacity. A recurring theme was the importance of deepening academia–industry collaboration to translate research into market-ready products.
Professor Oboh highlighted the availability of government research funding through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), encouraging researchers to develop proposals aligned with national priorities and focused on serving Nigerian and African populations.
The visit ended with optimism that research outcomes from the GMP laboratory would lead to affordable medicines widely available across Nigeria.
Day Three: Genomics, Global Health, and African Leadership – Institute of Genomics and Global Health, Redeemer’s University
The final engagement took place on Friday, January 30, 2026, at the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (formerly the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID)), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State. Professor Ogunsola and Professor Oboh accompanied Professor Holländer on the visit.
The delegation which was received by the Centre Director, Professor Christian Happi, and Professor Onikepe Folarin, was led on a tour of the self-sufficient, solar-powered facility equipped with advanced laboratories, research spaces, and residential amenities.
Professor Happi highlighted ACEGID’s achievements over the past decade, stressing Nigeria’s strategic importance to global research due to its population diversity. He noted the under-representation of Africa in global research narratives and underscored Institute’s role in reshaping this narrative through world-class research conducted in Nigeria.
The visit concluded with a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Akindele, reinforcing institutional goodwill and shared research aspirations.
Moving Forward: Strengthening Global Partnerships For Healthcare Solutions
The three-day engagement underscored the transformative power of strategic partnerships in addressing global health challenges. It showcased Nigeria’s growing capacity in GMP-compliant pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmaceutical innovation, and genomics research, while highlighting the urgent need for sustained collaboration among academia, industry, and international research institutions.
At its core, the visit re-affirmed a shared commitment to ensuring that scientific innovation translates into accessible, affordable, and life-saving healthcare solutions, particularly for children and underserved populations across Nigeria, Africa, and the Global South.
Author: Ndidi J. Odinikaeze
Editor: Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem
Photographer: Ayo Oloyede
