From Gombe To The World: Nigerian Female Researcher Secures AREF Fellowship To Advance Genomics

… ‘I’m Ready To Turn Gombe Into Hub For Computational Life Sciences’ – Bobbo

By Munyal Manunyi

In a major academic breakthrough, a Northern Nigerian female researcher, Khadijat Abubakar Bobbo, has been selected for the prestigious Academic Research Enablement Framework (AREF), positioning her work on the global scientific stage.

Bobbo, a PhD holder in Genetics with a specialization in cancer genetics and a Senior Lecturer at Gombe State University (GSU), announced her selection on Tuesday via her Facebook page.

“Out of a highly competitive pool of academic supervisors, my research direction was chosen to help build a new ‘Academic Research Track’ in genomics and bioinformatics. This isn’t just a win for me; it’s a win for Gombe State University and the brilliant students I supervise,” she wrote.

The AREF fellowship is an initiative of the Genomac Institute Inc., a U.S.-based research architecture firm headquartered in Delaware, focused on the digitalization of biology. The institute operates extensively across Africa, particularly in Nigeria, with specializations in genomics, bioinformatics, and computational biology.

Speaking with African Culture TV, Bobbo reflected on her journey and the challenges of conducting research in Northern Nigeria.

“For almost 16 years, I have lived at the intersection of the lab and the classroom. My work has always been driven by one question: how can we use the ‘anatomy of the small’ cells and genes, to solve the ‘problems of the great’ national health and economy?” she said.

She described her selection as both empowering and validating.

“As a researcher in Northern Nigeria, you often feel like you are working in a ‘scientific desert’ where resources are thin. Being selected for AREF feels like a ‘rain of opportunity.’ It proves that the grey matter in Gombe is just as sharp as that in Harvard or Oxford,” she added.

Bobbo emphasized that the fellowship goes beyond personal achievement, noting its impact on her students and the broader academic community.

“This is not just a title for my CV; it is a tool for my students. It means the next PhD I supervise at GSU will not just be local but globally competitive. I am ready to lead this research track and turn Gombe into a hub for computational life sciences,” she said.

She explained that AREF is not a conventional training programme but a selective research architecture initiative designed to help academic supervisors move from isolated research efforts to scalable, structured research tracks.

“By using public genomic datasets and advanced computational pathways, AREF helps us build a factory of knowledge within our local universities,” she noted.

According to Bobbo, the fellowship will lead to the development of a thematic academic research track focused on standardization and structured learning.

“Instead of students working on random topics, I will now lead a structured genomics pathway for undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students,” she explained.

She added that the initiative aims to produce high-impact publications in international journals while advancing biomedical sovereignty through the use of genomic data to address Nigeria’s health challenges, including cancer and respiratory diseases.

AREF fellows are selected from a competitive pool of academic supervisors across African institutions, recognized for their research clarity, feasibility, and leadership potential.

The fellowship operates as a hybrid global architecture, with activities conducted within local institutions like Gombe State University through partnerships and a structured virtual research network.

Highlighting the broader impact, Bobbo said the programme would enable her team to contribute meaningfully to global scientific knowledge.

“By joining AREF, we are positioning our lab to utilize large-scale genomic data to solve real Nigerian health challenges. From cancer research to other health concerns unique to our immediate communities.

“We are contributing our local data to global genomics maps right from Gombe and Nigeria as a whole. The journey to biomedical sovereignty

continues. Let’s get to work,” she said.