International researchers have raised concerns over Nigeria’s tuberculosis (TB) response, warning that the country has the widest gap in Africa between estimated infections and cases diagnosed and placed on treatment.
The warning was issued by Professor Bertie Squire, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Partnerships at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, during a memorial lecture organised by the Zankli Research Institute of Bingham University.
The lecture, held in honour of Professors Lovett Lawson and Luis Cuevas, was part of activities marking the institute’s 10th anniversary. Squire identified men as a major population requiring targeted TB screening, noting that they account for about two-thirds of TB transmission across Africa.
He also called for increased attention to low-income households, rural and peri-urban communities, people living with HIV and children. He explained that controlling the disease would require more than developing advanced diagnostic equipment. According to him, people with TB must also have timely access to testing to reduce further transmission.
On diagnostic improvements, Squire cited research indicating that collecting two sputum samples on the same day could produce results comparable to the traditional method of collecting three samples over several days. He said the approach could reduce the financial and social difficulties patients face during testing. He also highlighted molecular diagnostic technologies that can deliver results within 45 minutes to one hour, with sensitivity levels of about 90 per cent.
The professor discussed the Light Consortium, a research partnership involving institutions in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and the United Kingdom. The initiative has explored community-based screening methods, including the use of male advocates and mobile chest X-ray services to reach men. He also mentioned the Start4All research consortium, which focuses on finding TB cases that existing healthcare systems fail to detect.
Earlier, Bingham University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Haruna Kuje Ayuba, paid tribute to the late Professor Lovett Lawson, describing him as a visionary scientist and mentor whose work helped establish the foundation of the research institute.
The Director of Zankli Research Institute, Associate Professor John Samson Bimba, traced the institution’s beginnings to the early 2000s, when Lawson established a laboratory in the basement of Bizanti Centre, Abuja, with support from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Bimba said the laboratory later acquired an MGIT machine, which became important for testing drug-resistant TB, postgraduate training and supporting Nigeria’s National Tuberculosis Programme.
Reflecting on the institute’s growth from a laboratory into a research centre and eventually a research institute, Bimba said its progress was built on partnerships, scientific research and the commitment to improving lives. He described the 10th anniversary as both a milestone and an opportunity to prepare for the institute’s future.
