Two esteemed lecturers, Margaret Ilomuanya and Mutiat Bolanle Ibrahim, hailing from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), have garnered significant acclaim by securing a combined N900 million in grants through the Grand Challenges Africa (GC Africa) initiative. This initiative, backed by the Science for Africa Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to propel transformative research addressing critical health and agriculture challenges in Africa.
Dr. Ilomuanya, affiliated with the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, has been awarded a substantial grant of US$359,100 for her groundbreaking project, “The Cervical Mucus Barrier as a Target for Artificial Neural Network Inspired Novel Blends of Electrospun Scaffolds.” Her innovative endeavor seeks to develop a revolutionary contraceptive device emulating the natural cervical mucus barrier, offering the potential to prevent both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Simultaneously, Dr. Ibrahim, associated with the Department of Pharmacognosy, has secured a grant of US$259,801.30 for her research endeavor titled “Characterisation of Herbal Bioactive for the Development of Spermicides for Female Contraception.” Her project focuses on identifying and characterizing herbal compounds that could serve as spermicides, presenting a safe, effective, and affordable alternative to traditional contraceptives.
Both scholars join the ranks of 11 distinguished African researchers, as announced on Monday, February 12, 2024, who have received key grants under the GC Africa initiative. The initiatives led by Ilomuanya and Ibrahim promise to make groundbreaking contributions to the advancement of healthcare and agriculture in Africa, exemplifying the potential for impactful innovations within the academic community at UNILAG.
