Biotech firm 54Gene has bolstered Nigeria’s capacity for COVID-19 testing by deploying a mobile laboratory in Ogun, a state in the southwestern region.
Alongside its DNA biobank lab in Lagos, this addition brings the number of molecular laboratories in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s network of coronavirus testing centers to 17.
A relatively new private health tech company, 54Gene has been proactive in expanding COVID-19 testing in Nigeria. In March, it launched a fund aimed at enhancing the country’s testing capacity, raising up to $500,000 from private sector donations.
The mobile lab, housed in a 40ft container, is designed as a plug-and-play solution to minimize the logistical challenges of transporting samples to different locations for processing.
The objective is to redirect time and cost savings towards more critical infrastructural needs, such as ensuring the availability of testing equipment, protective gear for healthcare workers, and other essential accessories.
Partners for the mobile lab include First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Argentil Capital Partners, an energy and infrastructure advisory firm based in Nigeria.
Arnergy, a Nigerian renewable energy company, will supply continuous power to the facility with a 10kVA solar power solution.
After facing criticism for the slow pace of testing, Nigeria’s health authorities have made efforts to scale up in the past month. By March 30, when Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun states entered a federally mandated lockdown, there were only six accredited testing laboratories.
Since then, additional facilities have been established in states outside Lagos, including northern states like Kano, where reports of unusual deaths have raised concerns.
Testing has resumed in Kano at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, a government-owned tertiary care facility. 54Gene has plans to deploy a mobile lab in the state soon.
The biotech company’s stationary lab in Lagos and mobile lab in Ogun are the first accredited private facilities to join Nigeria’s COVID-19 testing network.
The startup recently completed a $15 million Series A funding round to expand its core business of building a pan-African genome data bank for research, disease prevention, and drug development.
