Buea: The University of Buea Center for Drug Discovery (UB-CeDD) was inaugurated by Prof. Wilfred Nyongbert Gabsa, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, following directives from the Minister. This marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind in Central Africa and the second in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to Cameroon News Agency, the inauguration ceremony took place on the UB main campus on February 4, 2025. The center was established with a seed fund of one million US dollars from the Calestous Juma Science Fellowship funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant was awarded to Dr. Fidele Ntie-Kang, an associate professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the current head of UB-CeDD, who is also an alumnus of the first cohort of the CJF.

The UB Center for Drug Discovery comprises five laboratories, with three currently operational. It is supported by three grants: one for its construction, another half-million-dollar grant from the same donor for ongoing projects, and a third from German partners for capacity building.

Prof. Wilfred Nyongbert Gabsa, representing the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, and Chancellor of Academic Orders Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, praised the initiative as a boost to scientific research at the University of Buea and the higher education sector.

The Vice Chancellor commended Dr. Fidele Ntie-Kang’s dedication to drug discovery. He emphasized the prestige the project brings to the University of Buea, fostering advanced research and discovery to combat health afflictions. He encouraged Dr. Ntie-Kang, the Principal Investigator, to continue his efforts in drug discovery under the university’s banner.

Dr. Ntie-Kang, the grant recipient and Principal Investigator, assured that the center has been operational since its foundation was laid three years ago, promising significant findings in the future. The center’s initial focus will be on drug discovery for HIV, Covid, Malaria, and Cancer.