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With initial funding from the World Bank, the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) was founded in 2014 as one of the centres of excellence aimed at addressing the shortage of skilled personnel and inadequate research tools necessary for developing innovative solutions to Africa’s health challenges. ACEGID serves as a platform for training the next generation of African genomic scientists, enhancing the understanding of circulating health threats, and improving outbreak preparedness and response.
Through research excellence, ACEGID has attracted funding for high-impact studies on infectious diseases from several international organizations, including the United States Department of Defence, the National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust, the United Kingdom Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, ELMA Philanthropies, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Skoll Foundation, FluLab Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
About ACEGID
ACEGID has been at the forefront of advancing research on infectious diseases in Nigeria and across Africa. Notably, in 2014, ACEGID confirmed Nigeria’s first Ebola case within six hours, a remarkable achievement that significantly contributed to the early and successful containment, management, and control of the disease in the country. Since then, ACEGID has continued to lead research, training, and development efforts on infectious diseases across Africa. In collaboration with international partners, the centre has developed rapid diagnostic test kits capable of detecting the presence of Ebola and Lassa fever viruses within 10 minutes. In recognition of this achievement, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Ebola Virus Rapid Diagnostics Test for emergency use in March 2015.
The centre remains committed to driving innovation in genomics for disease surveillance, characterization, and diagnosis, as well as for vaccine and drug development. In September 2020, the WHO and the African Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) designated ACEGID as one of two continental reference laboratories for genomic sequencing of COVID-19 and other emerging pathogens. Furthermore, the WHO and Africa CDC recognized ACEGID as one of two African hubs of excellence for infectious disease research, development, innovations, and training. These designations underscore the centre’s capacity to drive cutting-edge translational genomics research and training.
ACEGID remains steadfast in its commitment to continuous research, innovation, and capacity building, ensuring that Africa is equipped with the scientific expertise and resources needed to tackle infectious diseases effectively.