*Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti’s has related how ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid, a drug produced through extensive research by a team of researchers in the University, has healed about 19 patients who earlier contracted COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Sustained research efforts at evolving indigenous solutions to combat the damaging effects of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have begun to pay off in the West African country.

ConsumerConnect reports the recent approval and licensing by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of the ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid, the herbal drug to cure COVID-19, developed by Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), in Ekiti State.

The University has also confirmed that 19 patients of the dreaded disease had recovered fully following the use of herbal drug solution.

Aare Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), educationist and Founder of the University, disclosed this positive development Tuesday, January 4, 2022, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, at a ceremony commemorating the 12th Anniversary of the establishment of ABUAD.

The ABUAD Founder noted that the drug had been tested on 19 COVID-19 patients, and they all recovered from the disease.

ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid is an immune booster and antioxidant for coronavirus and other viral infections, which can also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

It is a product, which has been conscientiously produced and packaged in 100-ml bottles, said the University.

According to Aare Babalola, the number of Coronavirus patients the herbal drug had healed has been on the increase since the health regulatory agency approved the local cure.

ABUAD committed to research, teaching and community service: Founder

The Research Department of the University over the years, he stated, had made meaningful discoveries aimed at solving the socio-economic problems of the country.

Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti

In his address on the occasion, Babalola also recalled that he conceived the institution in 2010 in order to contribute to the education development in Nigeria, in the areas of research, teaching, and community service.

The SAN said: “I am happy that I conceived this University 12 years ago and since then, we have been going from strength to strength, making exploits in all our endeavours.

“Our vision is to make this place a great institution in the university education in the country in teaching, research and community service.”

Babalola also said: “I can confirm to you today (Tuesday), that our herbal drug produced through extensive research by our team of researchers, has healed about 19 patients who contracted COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were healed perfectly less than five days of usage; that tells you the level of our research in ABUAD.”

NAFDAC approval for University’s COVID-19 herbal medicine

It is recalled the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had given approval to Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti to commence the production of ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid, effective from December 16, 2021.

The University said the ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid is an immune booster and antioxidant for the Coronavirus and other viral infections, which can also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

It is a product, which has been produced and packaged in 100-ml bottles since last year.

Mr. Tunde Olofintila, Director of Corporate Affairs of the university, in a statement last December noted that in view of the feat on indigenous solution for COVID-19 diseas in Nigeria, ABUAD has joined researchers in some foreign universities, which have been making efforts at producing anti-viral medications for the treatment of the raging virus.

Olofintila in the statement had said that the approval for the herbal drug was conveyed in a letter Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, dated and signed December 17, 2021 to ABUAD.

In regard to the institution’s medical invention, Prof. Opemiposi Omotuyi, Director of Research of the University, opined that the research breakthrough on herbal medicine had been made possible by the unparallelled assemblage of quality and sophisticated equipment and infrastructure in the University, stated the Director of Corporate Affairs.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Toyin Afolabi, Chief Pharmacist in the University, has commended several stakeholders, such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), parents, committed and dedicated teachers as well as the students who have contributed to what ABUAD is at the moment.

Therefore, in a further move to enhance product quality towards improving the quality of human lives, Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, ABUAD’s Chief Medical Director of ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, appealed to industries in Nigeria to approach and partner with ABUAD in research and investment in products and services with a view to raising the quality of life of humankind.

Dr. Ogundipe, who urged prospective marketers of the herbal medicine to start filing their applications, also appealed to them to be patient until the herbal factory located in the University’s 121-unit Research Industrial Park will have been February 2022.

Concerns over proliferation of universities, quality of education

As regards creation of public Universities in the country for effective research, teaching and socio-economic advancement of humanity, Aare Babalola said the increasing creation of universities in constituencies across the country by the National Assembly (NASS), amounts to usurpation of the power of the National Universities Commission (NUC), as prescribed by law on the establishment of universities.

According to the legal icon, these universities could be described as “political universities”, and if this situation is not nipped in the bud by NUC and the Federal Ministry of Education, it would have adverse effects on Nigeria’s education sector.

“The Ministry of Education and NUC should exercise their powers to checkmate this in the interest of quality education in the country because what these ambitious members of the national assembly have done amounts to usurpation and abuse of power.

“Every attempt must be made by all stakeholders to put a lid on the establishment of political universities that hardly survive those who put them in place after they are out of power otherwise, there will be a crash in the quality of private universities,” stated Babalola.

Invitation to Mr. President for a visit to ABUAD

Against the the backdrop of the University’s reported outstanding feats in the last 12 years of its existence, the ABUAD Founder, on the occasion Tuesday extended an invitation to  President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the University, and see first-hand the landmark achievements of the leading private University in the country.

Babalola further acknowledged that the University’s achievements over time had been acknowledged by both local and international organisations.