Building Africa’s Future Health Innovators: Inside Codix Group’s Academic Collaboration with OOU
As pioneers of In-vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturing in Nigeria, we believe that true transformation in healthcare goes beyond diagnostics and products but lies in people. For a long time, the prevailing narrative was that a facility like Codix Bio or Colexa Biosensor couldn’t exist in Africa, that we lack the capacity, the capability, and the technical know-how. We were determined to change that narrative because Nigerians are exceptionally intelligent and capable. The issue has never been potential, it’s access to knowledge. With the right training and exposure, our people can do anything.
So, we embraced the challenge, determined to show the world that a factory like this can not only exist in Nigeria but thrive. Our goal wasn’t just to prove it could be done, but to build something sustainable. After all, what’s the value of a technology transfer if there are no young people equipped to carry it forward? Through training and support, we’ve successfully employed and transferred knowledge to others. But now, it’s time to go further, it’s time to build the future of health-tech in Africa.
We’ve consistently led the way in providing accurate, affordable diagnostic solutions. However, the journey to local manufacturing has exposed a critical gap, and in response to this, we partnered with Olabisi Onabanjo University in 2023, to introduce fully accredited courses on the Science of In-Vitro Diagnostics (Biosensors and Nanotechnology) embedded directly in the university’s curriculum, offering undergraduates in Chemistry, Microbiology, and related fields, the chance to gain knowledge in a highly specialized area. The course is designed to do more than educate, it’s meant to stimulate curiosity and innovation. Lateral flow tests (LFTs), for example, are a platform technology. Their local development demands a deep understanding of science, context, and need, all of which are best nurtured within African institutions by African minds.
In the first year of the course, the university had just over 70 students enrolled. By the second year, that number has grown significantly, with over 300 students enrolled in the program. We understand that our facilities may not have the capacity to absorb every graduate at this stage, but our vision goes far beyond immediate employment. Our aim is to build a robust pipeline of talent that is fully equipped to thrive in the IVD industry. Our collaboration with OOU is about laying a solid foundation, one designed to spark interest and curiosity in the field of in-vitro diagnostics. The reality is that what students are exposed to in the classroom is only a fraction of what is required in the real world. The true needs lie in research, development, and innovation, and these cannot be fully taught within the scope of a four-year undergraduate program.
