On Saturday, February 20, 2021, the sixth edition of Business to Business (B2B) annual national economic dialogue was convened and hosted virtually by Dr Mustapha Ayo Popoola.
Having been held five times before, it requires no introduction. But for the benefit of those who are just learning about it or don’t know what it entails and does, B2B is an innovative entrepreneurship and business research development platform for lifelong education with over 250 CEOs as members across five continents.
The goal of the annual dialogue is to catalyse reforms in selected sectors of Nigeria’s economy through guided dialogue using proven innovative models.
With the global ‘new normal’ occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s dialogue focused on the ways Nigeria could mainstream the institutionalisation of Research and Development (R&D) and facilitate the collaboration of stakeholders using the triple helix Model to reach desired results.
Reflective of the model, which entails the interactions between academia, industry and government in fostering economic and social development, about 100 acclaimed experts in Nigeria and abroad participated in the conference.
To do justice to the theme, eight technical papers were presented by panelists led by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. S.E. Bogoro. Other panelists were: Prof. A.O. Adepoju, the Director-General of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria; Dr. Obi Peter Adigwe, the Director-General of Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development; Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, the CEO of Nigerian Economic Summit Group; Prof. Shuaib Bello, Provost of College of Medicine, Usman Dan Fodio Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Dr. Ochu Chinwe, the National Coordinator of Nigerian COVID-19 Research Coalition, Ms. Osayi Alile, Co-Administrator, CACOVID; Dr. Michael Olugbile, a Senior Public Health
Specialist at the World Bank; and Dr Linus Anukwu, President/CEO, Bayview Clinics Ltd,
Illinois, USA.
In his presentation, Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, CEO, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, opined that COVID-19 pandemic further exposed Nigeria’s inherent economic weakness which is being caused by its over-reliance on the exportation of crude oil. However, according to him, the pandemic has presented Nigeria with opportunities to reshape its
collaborations between government, academia and the industry.
For Dr. Obi Peter Adigwe, if the triple helix model is properly utilised in Nigeria, the country has the capacity of developing COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drugs.
However, Prof. A.O. Adepoju of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, told the conference that his institute has already developed a drug for the treatment of COVID-19, and only the approval of regulatory bodies is being awaited before another step is taken.
Prof. Shuaib Bello, Provost, College of Medicine, Usman Dan Fodio Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, detailed the status report on candidate therapeutics development for COVID-19 in Nigeria, R&D dilemma over a Magic bullet in the dark, Vaccines development and other allied matters including drug screening of over 7,000 candidate therapeutics selected from
the global drug bank using the Schrodinger industrial grade software newly acquired.
The CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation explained the various interventions of CACOVID especially in the areas of palliative provision and vaccine procurement. While acknowledging that much has not been done by CACOVID on research, she advocated submission of fundable research proposals for considerations by the organization.
Dr Linus Anukwu, President/CEO Bayview Clinics, Illinois, USA discussed the COVID19
impact on the US citizens regarding morbidity and Mortality. He attributed some of the devastating effects of COVID-19 to the failure of the immediate past government to activate the Triple Helix as a strategic tool to combat the pandemic.
Dr Michael Olugbile, Senior Public Health specialist at the World Bank advocated for value
for money in all COVID-19 interventions. Sustainability in Health Sector financing during and post COVID-19 including building resilience into the National Pandemic response was
emphasized.
At the end of the conference, five conclusions were reached. The first one was that the model in question has the potential to fast-track both the vaccine and drug development, improve healthcare delivery, even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance the national preparedness for future emerging disease, if R&D is mainstream.
Secondly, given the epidemiological nature of COVID-19 in Africa, together with the relevant demographic indices, means that a robust engagement with the academia, industry and the community, can provide an innovative model which can uniquely improve
healthcare access whilst stimulating socio-economic development.
The conference also concluded that solutions for African healthcare challenges should come from Africans/Africa institutions that have the willingness and capacity to engage vigorously with relevant issues using the instrumentality of Research and Development by leveraging the model in question.
Nigeria and indeed Africa have so far escaped maximum devastation during the first and second waves of the pandemic not on the basis of effective response but by yet to be explained genetic and environmental advantages which required the Triple Helix led R&D.
Finally, the participants urged the federal and state governments to adopt, domesticate and mainstream Triple Helix model for retooling the national
Covid-19 response for quicker and faster results that are people-centric.
Gaata writes from Abuja