The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has charged Nigerian scientists to identify the quickest pathway towards developing the country’s first Lassa fever vaccine.
The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Sonny Echono, gave the charge in Abuja on Tuesday during the presentation of the outcomes of a TETFund-sponsored Mega Research Project on Lassa Fever conducted by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.
Echono described the recurring outbreaks of the disease as a major public health burden that requires urgent scientific solutions.
Speaking after receiving the findings, he said the research had reinforced the need for Nigeria to move beyond generating scientific evidence to developing practical interventions that directly improve citizens’ lives.
He urged the research team to prioritise vaccine development, stressing that immunisation remains the most effective strategy for controlling infectious diseases.
“What is the shortest route towards developing a vaccine? How can we ensure that the burden on our people is reduced? Every year, thousands of Nigerians die from Lassa fever. How can we reduce this burden?
“I know a vaccine is usually the most effective mode of disease control. You vaccinate people, and they become almost immune. What is the fastest path, and how can TETFund support that drive so that we can achieve direct benefits and direct impact on the lives of Nigerians?” he questioned.
He assured the researchers that the intervention agency would work with relevant government institutions to ensure the findings translate into national health policies and interventions.
“We will escalate these findings to the relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Ministry of Health. If we receive the validation we expect, it will strengthen our case for establishing a vaccine development centre in Nigeria,” he said.
Echono commended the researchers for producing findings that could improve healthcare delivery, adding that tackling diseases such as Lassa fever would strengthen Nigeria’s health system.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Francis Uba, described the project as one of the institution’s most significant research investments.
Uba said TETFund demonstrated foresight about four years ago by awarding the university a N250m Mega Research Grant to investigate Lassa fever.
“This significant investment was not merely financial support; it was an expression of confidence in the capacity of Nigerian scientists and institutions to generate evidence-based solutions to one of our nation’s most persistent public health challenges,” he said.
He said recurrent outbreaks of Lassa fever continue to impose medical, social and economic costs on Nigeria and other West African countries by claiming lives, overstretching health facilities and threatening national health security.
However, he said the project generated evidence on the epidemiology, diagnosis, management and control of the disease while strengthening the university’s research infrastructure, laboratory capacity and collaborations with local and international partners.
Uba appealed to TETFund and the Federal Government to designate the institution as a National Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research to consolidate the gains of the project and strengthen Nigeria’s response to emerging infectious diseases.
The project’s Principal Investigator, Joseph Okopi, who presented the findings, said Nigeria has the highest burden of Lassa fever globally, recording between 5,000 and 10,000 deaths annually.
He said the TETFund-funded project is the largest multi-state population surveillance study on Lassa fever conducted in Nigeria, adding that the study examined the prevalence of Lassa fever antibodies, identified rodent vectors, investigated transmission patterns and assessed major risk factors linked to infection.
Okopi said Benue State recorded the highest prevalence of Lassa fever antibodies among the five states surveyed, adding that adults aged between 20 and 40 years recorded the highest exposure to the virus because of their involvement in farming and other outdoor activities that increase contact with infected rodents.
He said the study identified poor housing conditions, rodent infestation, food contamination, leaking roofs and poorly fitted doors as major environmental risk factors for infection.
He added that the study found that the widely held belief that eating rodents is the major predictor of Lassa fever infection was not supported by the evidence.
“We discovered that the commonly held belief that eating rodents is the major predictor of infection was not supported by our findings. Rodent consumption was not an independent predictor of Lassa fever infection,” he said.
Presenting the clinical findings, Audu Onyemocho said 1,266 participants were enrolled in the study, while 392 suspected cases were investigated across Benue and Kogi states.
He said 43 cases were confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction testing, with Benue recording 25 confirmed infections and Kogi recording 18.
Onyemocho identified bleeding, older age and seizures as the strongest predictors of death among confirmed Lassa fever patients.
He reiterated that developing an effective vaccine should remain Nigeria’s ultimate objective.
