Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
The total number of laboratories with COVID-19 testing capacity in Nigeria is now 29 across the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control disclosed this in a message it posted on its Twitter handle, @NCDCgov, on Saturday.
It said the number rose to 29 with the activation of a laboratory in Bauchi state.
The message read, “We are pleased to announce the inclusion of an additional lab to the NCDC Molecular Laboratory Network: Bauchi State Reference Molecular Laboratory
“This brings the total number of labs with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in Nigeria to 29.”
The centre said work was in progress on two other laboratories in Kwara and Gombe States.
The NCDC had last week announced the activation of two laboratories in Ogun and Katsina States.
They are Afriglobal Medicare Lab, Ogun, and Sahel Centre for Molecular Diagnostics and Research, Katsina.
Before the two were activated, existing laboratories with COVID-19 testing capacity include the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, FCT; Defence Reference Laboratory, FCT; Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory, Lagos State; and Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo.
Others are at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos State; Virology Laboratory of University College Hospital, Oyo State; Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki; and African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Osun State.
The centre also has laboratories at the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau; Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State; DNA Laboratory, Kaduna State; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, and Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahamadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
There are also laboratories at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Bayero University Kano; 54gene mobile laboratory, Ogun; 54gene mobile laboratory, Lagos State; 54gene mobile laboratory, Kano State; Mobile laboratory, Delta State; University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Satellite Molecular Laboratory, and University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
