WATS GUD 'BOUT NAIJA.

To those who never see any reason to be proud about Nigeria, I have three words for you: SHINE YA EYE. Despite our knack for the absurd, our penchant for greed and avarice, our collective amnesia and gross inability to learn any lessons whatsoever from the past, there is still lots of good being done by the "Nigerian" ,albeit hardly mentioned. From time to time, I intend to celebrate Nigeria, Nigerians, Nigerian brands, the Nigerian dream, “Nigerianness”, and everything Naija because I am a passionate believer in MADE IN NAIJA; CELEBRATED WORLDWIDE. So if you are like me, you could post a comment on your proudly Naija moments or brands or people. It would be there for all to see and I would highlight some spectacular ones in the future. Read on.

Does this name- Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – ring a bell? If it doesn’t now, soon enough it would. REASON: Diabetes sufferers all over the world are estimated to be in excess of 100 million, and this Nigerian - from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of AkwaIbom state - has produced a drug, officially recognized as cure for the dreaded disease. That’s what I call demanding the impossible. Dr Nelson has already received a patent for the drug by the United States patent office, in addition to getting initial nods from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

As is to be expected in Nigeria, this announcement has generated mixed feelings. While some have extolled the good doctor to high heavens, others have thrown all caution and condemned with venomous intensity. Even the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has not been left out as it expressed reservations over the discovery. In a strongly worded statement from its president, Mr. Anthony Akhimien, it (PSN) said among other things that medicine is still battling with the disease and that “there is no cure.” The statement sounded as though diseases come pre-packaged with their cure. It is instructive to note that at some point in their history –even if for just a second – every disease was incurable until men like Dr. Nelson did something about it.

I don’t care about the politics of the discovery and even though there still remains a clinical trial before it is rolled out, am just enthralled by the “Nigerianness” of it all. Check this out.
The man – Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – is a Nigerian. His first degree and doctorate degree in molecular and computational chemistry were both acquired from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The drug –AD1, a herbal anti-diabetic phytopharmaceutical – is produced from a herb predominantly found in the eastern part of Nigeria. The laboratory work and research were done using facilities at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Idu Karmu, Abuja, Nigeria and the University of Calabar, Nigeria. The researchers were/are Nigerians. The production of the drug will be in Nigeria. Finally, the drug would be marketed worldwide from Nigeria by a Nigerian company. What more is there to be said?

In his inaugural address on May 29, 2007, President Yar’adua said, “We are Nigerians! We are a resourceful and enterprising people and we have it within us to make our country a better place. Let us set aside cynicism…Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves…Let us stop justifying every shortcoming with that unacceptable phrase ‘The Nigerian Factor’ as if to be a Nigerian is to settle for less.” The way I see it, I agree with him – hook, line and sinker.