Innovation in Nigeria: Electric Car & DNA Start-Up

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) yesterday as the institution’s Engineering Faculty successfully unveiled its first five-seater electric car.

Christened Lion Ozumba 551, the car, made with 80 percent locally-sourced materials, could undertake a 30-kilometer distance when fully charged.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Charles Igwe, said the car was part of the drive to accord innovation and technology the highest attention to reposition the institution for greater heights. He commended the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Benjamin Ozumba, who he said laid the foundation for innovation and technology upon which the car dream was realised.

“I feel happy that I inherited a strong institution from Ozumba and I promise to consolidate on his achievements,” he said. Read more

Nigerian genetics start-up 54gene raises US$4.5 million

Nigerian genetics start-up 54gene raises US$4.5 million seed funding to build database of genomic and phenotypic consented data of Africans

A six month old Nigerian startup has raised US$4.5 million to collect DNA data to improve treatments for Africans and those of African descent. Russell Southwood spoke to its co-founder Francis Osifo about how it will work.

The original spark for 54gene was the idea of doing something around diagnostics, with the convenience of testing in people’s homes:”We realized there was a bigger opportunity. People couldn’t do genetic testing across Africa and we could see this worked in healthcare space in the USA.”

The co-founders identified five areas in which they might operate: metabolic disorders, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular and sickle cell. The initial idea had been to offer individual genetic tests and to use the consented data gathered to create a “biobank” of data.

Because of the relative novelty of this type of individual genetic testing in Nigeria, 54gene decided to carry out an initial pilot with 3 of Nigeria’s largest academic tertiary hospitals and with new investment will expand this to 10 hospitals. In time it will start expanding to Eastern and Southern Africa, making partnerships with hospitals and doctors.

For its identified areas, it arranges genetic testing internationally and gathers up the data into its biobank.  So far it has collected data from 6,000 individuals and hopes to reach 40,000 by the end of the year. Read more