The Director of Africa Centre of Excellence for Mycotoxin and Food Safety, Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Niger State, Prof. Hussaini Anthony Makun has lamented about the rising cases of cancer and other diseases in Nigeria, saying setting up the centre in the institution will assist in reducing the trend.

Makun made this known after the commissioning of the multi-million naira edifice of the centre at Gidan Kwano campus along Minna-Bida Road.

He explained that Mycotoxins are those harmful substances that cause cancer of the liver and kidney diseases of which the centre is poised to tackle by removing all forms of antibiotics from grains through the use of ICPEOS and PCR machines.

He explained that cancer is on the increase among other diseases affecting the people as a result of the kind of food they consume, adding: ” We have state-of-the-art equipment to prevent and control any poison from our food.”

According to him: ” The centre is partnering with Standard Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC, to enable the centre to also benefit from their research for maximum benefit.”

Prof. Makun revealed that currently the centre has programme for both Master’s and PhD students from 12 African countries on capacity building and research.

Decrying the way and manner the media exaggerate issue of insecurity , he said: ” the way the issue is being reported scares students from other countries to come to the university . We are calling for a change of attitude.

“About N1 billion was expended on the construction and equipping of the centre by the Federal Government, facilitated by the World Bank under the facilitation of National Universities Commission, NUC.”