IBB Varsity Researchers Win N77m Grants For Cholera Prevention, Lithium Exploration

Two researchers at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, have secured research grants totalling approximately N77 million for projects on cholera prevention and lithium exploration.

The researchers, Associate Professors Hussaini Majiya and Yusuf Usman Tanko, presented their projects at a research workshop, outlining how their work could address public health and sustainable development challenges.

Majiya’s project, titled “Development of a National Groundwater Risk Assessment Framework for Informed Public Health Policy towards Ending Recurrent Cholera Outbreaks in Nigeria,” seeks to establish a scientific framework for assessing groundwater contamination risks and guiding public health interventions.

He said the research would examine groundwater sources in 46 communities across 16 local government areas identified as cholera hotspots in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The study will assess how nearby pit latrines, septic tanks and sewage affect groundwater quality.

It will involve risk assessments of 1,120 groundwater sources and the collection and analysis of 3,360 water samples.

The project will also include focus group discussions, design-thinking workshops, stakeholder consultations and capacity-building activities to develop a framework for use by environmental health officers and policymakers.

Funded with approximately N49 million and scheduled to run for 22 months, the research is expected to complement Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control.

It is also intended to support Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 6, which address good health and well-being, and clean water and sanitation, respectively.

The research is expected to contribute to efforts to reduce waterborne diseases, healthcare costs and the social stigma associated with recurrent cholera outbreaks.

Tanko’s project, titled “Developing Smart Geoscientific Strategies to Assess Strategic Lithium Deposits in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Clean Energy Leadership and Sustainable Development,” focuses on improving the systematic exploration and sustainable management of lithium deposits.

The project received approximately N28 million in funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

According to the presentation, the research will develop geoscientific frameworks benchmarked against international standards to assess Nigeria’s lithium resources.

The study will cover selected areas in Niger, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Nasarawa and Bauchi states.

It will bring together specialists in geosciences, environmental and biological sciences, socioeconomic research, policy and predictive modelling.

The projects address two distinct national priorities: improving water safety and public health, and strengthening knowledge of mineral resources that could support clean-energy development.

Their findings are expected to provide evidence to guide policy decisions and future interventions in the respective fields.