…inducts 17 pioneering postgraduate students
The Management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), has established a Centre for Medical Geology, the first ever in the world, for the study of geological factors, environment, its impact on humans and other related programmes.
The establishment of the Centre was made possible with the support of the University’s Jose Centeno International Centre for Medical Geology (JacMedGeo), focusing on developing safe mining strategies and purposeful research in the area, which will enable policymakers and other stakeholders to leverage the opportunities therein.
Already, the University, in collaboration with the JacMedGeo, International Medical Geology Association and the International Environmental Health Sciences Consortium. has developed a globally-accepted curriculum for the study of medical geology in the following courses: Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Geology, Masters Degree in Medical Geology and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medical Geology.
Meanwhile, about 17 students have been inducted by the Management of the University to study the aforementioned courses.
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The first ever event in the University system featured the delivery of a special lecture entitled, “Safe mining, chemicals and economic diversification” by Fatima Shinkafi, Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF).
Emmanuel Akabe, the Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, in a remark on Friday, commended the University’s Management for their foresight as NSUK is the first tertiary institution in the world offering postgraduate courses in medical geology.
Akabe added that the feat couldn’t have been possible without the commitment of NSUK management and the support from stakeholders, even as he commended the management of the university for fostering the global alliances that have put the university in the limelight.
“His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule shares in this exhilaration and sends his warmest felicitations. Nasarawa State University has once again proven its pioneering spirit.
“To be the first worldwide to offer this critical programme speaks volumes about the vision and dedication of this institution, its leadership and the power of global collaboration,” he said.
Akabe explained that medical geology focuses on the connection between the environment and human health, a multidisciplinary field exploring the interactions between geological materials and processes and human wellbeing.
“This includes examining how Earth’s environment can impact health, both beneficially and harmfully. This programme will empower us to understand how geological factors directly impact health, causing us challenges like geo-medical diseases among others,” he said.
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The deputy governor, who described the pioneering students as trailblazers in the field, said their contributions in future can be groundbreaking, hence the need to embrace the new field of study and its challenges with passion and diligence.
He, then, assured them that the Administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule remains steadfast in its support for education and research-driven development.
“Investing in knowledge is investing in our future. As a state of solid minerals with large deposits of solid minerals, it is imperative that such a course begins here. So I congratulate you all,” he said.
Sa’adatu Liman, the Vice Chancellor of the University, who underscored the importance of the discipline, said the mining sector plays a vital role in the economic growth of the nation.
