Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has secured a €5 million grant from the European Union’s Horizon Europe EDCTP3 programme to develop an AI-powered microscope that could transform the diagnosis of parasitic diseases in rural Africa.
The grant, announced by the university on Monday, will fund the MultiplexAI project—an initiative that aims to bridge the diagnostic gap in underserved and remote communities using artificial intelligence and smartphone-enabled tools.
This milestone places ABU among a growing number of Nigerian institutions embracing AI-driven solutions to tackle endemic development challenges. The MultiplexAI project, one of only four selected from a pool of 240 submissions under the Horizon Europe call titled “Innovative Digital Health Solutions for Sub-Saharan Africa”, marks the first time the institution will host a digital health initiative funded under the Horizon Europe framework.
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The microscope, powered by AI and paired with a smartphone and a mobile app, is expected to simplify early detection of parasitic infections such as malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, and filariasis—diseases that disproportionately affect impoverished populations with limited access to conventional diagnostic labs.
Leading the project is Dr. Gloria Dada Chechet, a molecular parasitologist and Reader in the Department of Biochemistry at ABU. She will supervise the work under the Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB), based at the university. Known for her research on tropical disease diagnostics, Dr. Chechet has received numerous international fellowships and recognition for advancing women in science.
In its statement, ABU hailed the grant as “a new benchmark for digital health innovation on the continent,” noting that it enhances the university’s global visibility and places it at the forefront of AI-driven medical research in Africa.
Broader AI Momentum in Nigeria
The ABU development is part of a broader trend as Nigerian institutions, both academic and public, increasingly adopt AI to drive innovation and address systemic challenges.
Early this month, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) launched the integration of AI-powered assistant into its service delivery. The commission deployed AI to help users navigate business registration processes, retrieve documentation, and get real-time assistance. The move is part of the CAC’s broader digital transformation strategy and was launched to reduce the turnaround time in service delivery and curb human interference.
In academia, the University of Lagos has also begun integrating AI into its research and teaching modules, with several workshops conducted to expand the school’s AI adoption.
Nigerian startups have also shown growing interest in AI. Health-tech firms are exploring AI for genetic research and hospital automation, respectively, while edtech companies are integrating AI to enhance personalized learning for students.
The developments are in line with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) roadmap, which aims to position Nigeria among the top-performing economies in the World Bank’s Doing Business Index. Since the 2017 reform drive, Nigeria has introduced several initiatives to streamline business procedures, but the integration of AI into regulatory operations marks a significant leap forward.
A Strategic Leap for Health Diagnostics
The significance of ABU’s MultiplexAI project lies in its ability to democratize healthcare access by replacing centralized lab infrastructure with mobile, intelligent tools usable in the field. According to the university’s statement, “community health workers in hard-to-reach areas will soon be equipped to detect multiple parasitic infections using only a smartphone and a microscope—dramatically improving early diagnosis and treatment outcomes.”
The development also aligns with Nigeria’s digital economy strategy, which emphasizes AI and emerging technologies as key pillars for public service delivery and innovation. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has recently revised its AI policy draft, proposing the creation of an AI Research Fund to support academic and commercial AI innovation across the country.