As part of effort to investigate and prevent causative effect of charcoal-induced lung cancer in Nigeria, especially in Southwest, Royal Society, United Kingdom, has given a research grant of £300,000 to a researcher and staff of Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, College of Environmental Resources Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
The research grant approved by the Royal Society, an independent scientific academy of United Kingdom and Commonwealth for the staff and the College of Environmental Resources Management of FUNAAB, was done for the undertaking of research and investigation as regards “effect of charcoal production on air quality, human respiratory and cancer risk in Southwest, Nigeria.”
Speaking at the press conference to herald 27th Convocation of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta on Monday, Felix Salako, professor and vice chancellor of FUNAAB, declared that a researcher (name withheld) in Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology won the grant for the FUNAAB and Nigeria, saying the grant was meant to investigate and reduce prevalence of charcoal-induced lung cancer and human respiratory challenges.
Salako added that the university’s lecturers, staff and researchers, more than any other universities in Nigeria, won largest grants running to the tune of N266.7 million from 2019 National Research Fund supervised and disbursed by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) dedicated to undertake various community development projects as demonstrated in the various products from FUNAAB Enterprises, including palm oil, bread, garri, palm wine, cashew nuts, odourless fufu flour, sachet and bottled water, among others.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
