Nigerian healthtech startup to create prestigious genomics facility in Nigeria

Nigeria-based healthtech startup, 54gene has partnered with Illumina, a US-based genomics company to create a first-class genomics facility in Nigeria.

The partnership will support the establishment of a new genetics facility in Lagos, Nigeria, equipped with a suite of Illumina’s cutting-edge sequencing and high-density microarray technology platforms, which will generate genetic information for health research and drug development.

Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, founder and CEO of 54gene explains that the new partnership will open doors for new scientific discovery and expand genomics research.

“The addition of Illumina’s cutting-edge technology to our research and diagnostic capabilities is a critical step for 54gene in fulfilling our mission of equalizing precision medicine. This is part of our wider commitment to building capacity and infrastructure in Africa which will allow us to significantly expand genomics research, while also improving health outcomes on the continent. Alongside our many partners in the African medical and scientific community, we want to make advanced molecular diagnostics more accessible to the region, while creating hundreds of skilled jobs in molecular biology and bioinformatics.”

In addition, the new collaboration will expand 54gene’s sequencing-based research and molecular diagnostics capabilities with a focus on improving health outcomes through precision medicine.

According to 54gene, Africa contains more genetic diversity than any other continent because the African genome is the oldest human genome.

Yet it is estimated that fewer than 3% of the genomes analyzed come from Africans, making it a potentially rich source of new genetic information for health and drug discovery research.

Founded in 2019, 54gene is a health technology company whose mission is to advance precision medicine capabilities in Africa through research, advanced molecular diagnostics, and clinical programs.

54gene intends to leverage off this as a global research resource while ensuring Africans benefit from cutting edge medical innovations.

Through the partnership, African samples stored in 54gene’s de-identified biobank will be genotyped, sequenced, and analyzed without the need to send samples overseas. The creation of local infrastructure will reduce costs and turnaround for critical test results. Illumina will provide training to support the use of its sequencing and microarray equipment and ensure ongoing support for 54gene’s growing team of molecular scientists.

Paula Dowdy, SVP, General Manager EMEA, Illumina comments on the importance of, “It’s incredibly important to ensure equitable access to genomic sequencing technology across the world so that genomes can be interpreted in the context of global diversity. Through partnerships such as this with 54gene, we aim to remove barriers of access to sequencing and expand the benefits of genomics to as many people as possible.”

Venturburn

Lagos rolls out affordable health insurance

Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, launched a health insurance plan to make access to care affordable for its more than 20 million residents, the second state to do so since July.

Under the plan, residents will have access to care in any hospital of their choice for 8,500 naira ($22) per year, while a family of six will pay 40,000 naira, the Lagos State government said in a statement on Twitter. Benefits include treatment for common diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, diabetes and hypertension, and access to family planning services, laboratory tests and ultrasounds.

The state government will ensure that treatments and other services “will be of high quality,” Emmanuella Zamba, general manager of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, said in Tuesday’s statement. Lagos residents can enroll immediately, she said.

The southwestern state of Ekiti rolled out a similar plan in July.

Bloomberg

Nigeria doctors on strike over coronavirus allowance

Doctors in Nigeria's capital Abuja have started an "indefinite strike" due to non-payment of a special coronavirus allowance, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced the decision following a meeting on Saturday, according to the Premium Times news website.

"The association would embark on a strike action with effect from 8 am 1st September 2020 until the payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance is received," their statement said.

Hazard pay or inducement allowance is paid to employees to encourage them to work on a particular project, especially under dangerous conditions. Health care workers are constantly at risk of exposure to the novel virus.

Roland Aigbovo, head of the group's Abuja chapter, said: "We have not received any hazard allowance since April and that is one of the major reasons we are embarking on a strike."

Their members have been suffering financial distress, he said, adding that despite repeated ultimatum and warnings, authorities have done nothing to help them.

In June, doctors called off a week-long strike over welfare and inadequate protective equipment.

The group said that the decision, after assurance from officials, was to give them time to fulfill the outstanding demands.

Strikes by medics are common in the country – Africa’s most populous – where the health sector has been underfunded for years.

Since March, Nigerian health authorities have confirmed 54,008 COVID-19 infections, including 1,013 virus-linked deaths.

Anadolu Agency

Nigeria's 'Kannywood' films soar online thanks to virus

At a time when the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on businesses around the world, the film industry in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north is going from strength to strength.

The region's movie machine -- dubbed Kannywood after its largest city Kano -- has become the dominant source of entertainment for West Africa's 80 million Hausa speakers.

Since springing up in 1992 with just seven production companies, the industry has grown to include 502 production outfits and 97 editing studios.

It now employs more than 30,000 people, according to the Kano chapter of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

While Kannywood films have the same themes of love, revenge and betrayal as those churned out by the prolific Nollywood film industry in the predominantly Christian south, the content must adhere to strict Islamic rules.

Northflix, Kannywood's fledgling online streaming platform, has seen its client base soar since authorities imposed lockdowns to contain the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Its subscriber base of 40,000 has nearly doubled, while revenue has tripled, CEO and co-founder Jamil Abdussalam told AFP.

"Coronavirus has been a blessing to us business-wise, despite the disruptions it has caused to the global economy," he said.

"It was not by chance, but a result of a conscious and concerted business strategy".

Kabiru Sufi, a Kano-based economist who follows trends in Kannywood, attributed the success of streaming platforms to their astute business sense and technology.

Abdussalam said Northflix formerly used the pay-per-view system but quickly switched to flat-rate subscriptions after the virus emerged in Asia and Europe, knowing that it "would reach all corners of the world".

The fee is just 1,500 naira ($4) a month in addition to subscribers' smartphone and internet costs.

The lockdown, which saw cinemas, hotels, bars and other recreational outlets shut down, was a boon for Northflix as idle Nigerians turned to their mobile phones to stream their favourite movies.

That opportunity also came as producers were desperately seeking an alternative market for their films with cinemas and DVD stores shuttered.

- 'A lifesaver' -

Northflix was the answer.

"It was a lifesaver for film producers who would not have had the avenue of making money from their movies," said Kano-based filmmaker Abdulkarim Mohammed.

And subscribers have stuck to the platform despite the easing of the lockdown, according to Abdussalam, because of the convenience it offers as well as the fact that pirated copies can no longer be found on the streets.

The new business environment has challenges both old and new.

Nigerian telecom services are notoriously poor, with frequent signal disruptions, coupled with exorbitant data costs which affect online-based firms.

But Northflix has been coping, the owners say.

"With a single (reception signal) bar, you can watch a movie without disruption, it doesn't freeze and our network is capable of buffering the video," Abdussalam said.

Other issues include censorship, criticism on religious grounds and piracy.

Muslim clerics and government officials say the platform promotes foreign values by mimicking Hollywood and Bollywood productions at the expense of the regional Hausa culture.

The industry has also come under state-imposed restrictions and scrutiny which filmmakers say are killing creativity.

Under the law, every film must be cleared by the censorship board which requires strict adherence to Islamic injunctions, including a ban on touching between men and women.

Defaulters are usually sanctioned.

But Northflix's location in the capital Abuja puts it beyond the jurisdiction of the Kano censoring agency.

"It has helped us bypass the restrictions... and fight piracy," said Sani Danja, a leading Kannywood actor and producer.

France24

Nigeria Delays Saturday's Planned Restart of International Flights

Nigeria on Thursday postponed the resumption of international flights for another week. The flights had been set to resume Saturday.

The flights have been suspended for five months as part of anti-coronavirus efforts. The Aviation Ministry posted a tweet Thursday expressing regret for delaying the flight restart, but no explanation was given for the move.

Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said earlier this week that the resumption of international flights was justified after there were no in-flight infections following the July 8 restoration of domestic flights.

Sirika said the recommencement of flights comes with steps to make sure progress in containing the virus is not comprised at airports.

The country wants passengers to take a coronavirus test on departure and pay for another on entering the country.

The government said it would put travelers managing to skip the tests on a travel watch list.

The federal government also intends to impose a $3,500 fine on airlines allowing coronavirus patients onto planes.

Since its first case, an Italian arriving in February, Nigeria has recorded about 50,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths.

VOA