A team of senior academics from the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry of the Abia State University (ABSU), has, in response to the call by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for local manufacturers and Institutions to engage in the manufacturing of indigenous products, including therapeutic materials to help fight the Coronavirus scourge ravaging the entire world, produced hand sanitizers to bridge the supply gap of the products in the market and prevent spread of the virus.
Receiving the products on behalf of Management the University, the Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Uche Ikonne, while commending the creativity and ingenuity of the team in producing high quality scientific hand sanitizers that will help curb the spread of the Coronavirus pledged to donate 1,000 bottles of the product to the State committee on Covid-19.
He explained that their efforts was in response to the call by the Governor, for local production of these products that will help to fight the Coronavirus pandemic and urged them to liaise with the Marketing Department of the University for the labelling as well to sustain the production for the benefits of the larger community.
Prof. Ikonne pledged the support of Management of the Institution to help them partner the State Government and its Committee on the pandemic to ensure effective collaboration and distribution of the product.
The Vice Chancellor disclosed that as a foremost Agency of the state, Abia State University, will continue to support the efforts of the Goverment in fighting the current global health challenge and recommended the hand sanitizer to the University Community and the general public.
Earlier while presenting the products to the Vice Chancellor, the Team Leader and Head of Department, Pure/Industrial Chemistry, Dr I.C Nnorom explained that they embarked on the project as a way of giving back to the society and have come to seek the approval and support of the Vice Chancellor for the mass production of the product, which he says, meets international standard and World Health Organization (WHO) specifications.
He thanked the Vice Chancellor for creating the conducive academic atmosphere that enables research and learning activities to thrive, and appreciated him for his support in realizing the project.
