By Aluta News
May 30, 2022
A team of researchers from Federal University Dutse (FUD), Jigawa, has begun samples collection to examine the cause of high prevalence of renal disease in Hadeijia Valley.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Hadejia Valley stretches from Zakirai in Kano State, to Hadejia in Jigawa, Nguru and Gashua in Yobe, respectively.
The area recorded the highest prevalence of kidney diseases in Nigeria.
NAN recalls that the team in 2021, received N36 million research grant to facilitate study to unravel the root causes of high kidney disease in the area.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) supported the study through the National Research Fund.
The Lead Researcher, Dr Muhammad Auyo, disclosed this when members of the team visited the Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar-Maje, on Monday in Hadejia.
Auyo said the team was in Hadeijia to kick start samples collection for its research into the high rate of kidney failure in Hadeijia, which he described as the highest in the world.
“As a son of the emirate, who has a first hand experience with people with kidney failure, I assembled a team of researchers and they wrote a proposal to TETfund on the chronic kidney diseases of unknown aetiology in the Hadeijia valley, which we defended and got the approval to carry out.
“So, N17 million was released recently to the team which helped us to purchase all the necessary equipment for the research,” he said.
The lead researcher said that he was personally committed to the research because he had lost nine members of his family to kidney failure, adding that his immediate younger sister died from the disease in April this year.
According to him, the team is suspecting the presence of environmental toxins in foods and the polymorphism of metallothionen gene as the cause of the disease.
The team, he said, would collect samples of water, soil, fish, cereals, fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, herbs, grass, tree shoot in every 10 kilometres in Hadejia, Zakirai, Nguru and Gashua for the research.
He said the research was expected to be conducted within 20 months.
Auyo said the team comprised of medical consultants, environmentalists, molecular biologists and technicians, adding that the team would make recommendations to the government at the end of its findings on what needs to be done to tackle the scourge.
Auyo sought the support of the emirate council on sensitisation activities to create awareness on the samples collection exercise.
Responding, Abubakar-Maje, represented by Alhaji Usman Abdulaziz, the Galadima of Hadejia, thanked the team for its interest to undertake the study in the area.
He pledged the council’s support to facilitate successful implementation of the exercise.
“We will immediately inform religious and community leaders on the presence of researchers and to mobilise support for the exercise.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to grant the team success and reward you all for trying to find solution to the problem bedevilling the society,” he said.
NAN