UNILAG’s professor wins ₦958 million grant from Bill Gates Foundation

A Nigerian professor identified as Bosede Afolabi has made the country proud by winning the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) gynaecologist was awarded a research grant of $2,518,474.00 (N958,908,975.50). Her project is titled Intravenous Versus Oral Iron for Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Pregnant Nigerian Women (IVON).

The disclosure was made by UNILAG, which celebrated the Nigerian professor on its LinkedIn page.

According to UNILAG website, Professor Bosede Afolabi is internationally recognised for her research in sickle cell pregnancy.

Her project, which is titled, ‘’Intravenous Versus Oral Iron for Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Pregnant Nigerian Women {IVON}”, is sponsored to the tune of $2, 518, 474.00 of the IVON Project.

As Principal Investigator, Professor Afolabi will lead a multicentre study which will run for 3 years (November 1, 2020 – October 31, 2023). The study will be conducted in 10 hospitals within Lagos and Kano States and it will recruit a total of 1,056 women at 20-32 weeks gestational age, who are diagnosed as having anaemia at the antennal clinics of the hospitals.

In addition to the international collaborations and partnerships which the study will facilitate between UNILAG and other Universities in the US and Europe, it will also contribute to local human capacity development with the sponsorship of junior faculties for postgraduate trainings (M.Sc. and PhD).

Professor Bosede Afolabi is internationally recognized for her research in sickle cell pregnancy. Her interests are in maternal and fetal medicine, minimal access (laparoscopic) Surgery and Maternal education. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK, West African College of Surgeons, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.