UG Professor Richard Amewu Joins EU-Africa Consortium to Secure €1.5 Million Grant for Drug Discovery Training in Africa
Professor Richard Amewu, an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Leader of the Drug Innovation Group based at the Department of Chemistry, is among a high-profile Africa-Europe research consortium that has secured €1.5 million in funding to boost early drug discovery efforts in sub-Saharan Africa.
The grant, provided by the European Union under the Horizon Europe scheme, along with additional support from the Swiss government, will fund the newly launched project “RAFIKI,” short for EU-Africa Research Infrastructure Alliance to Foster Infectious Disease Research, Knowledge Sharing and Innovation. The initiative is targeted at building scientific capacity, promoting innovation and strengthening partnerships between African and European researchers tackling infectious diseases.
Speaking on the significance of this milestone, Prof. Amewu highlighted the urgent need for enhanced local research infrastructure and skills development. “These planned training opportunities will close the knowledge gap in drug discovery and prepare young scientists in Africa for venturing into drug discovery research,” he said.
RAFIKI, which was launched in January 2025, is set to support early-career scientists across Africa through hands-on workshops, mentorship schemes and fellowship placements in leading laboratories.
The project is expected to accelerate local solutions for Africa’s most pressing public health challenges by focusing on knowledge exchange and long-term collaboration.
As sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, efforts such as RAFIKI and its complementary partnership with the Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator (GC ADDA) are laying the groundwork for change. The GC ADDA, coordinated by the H3D Foundation, supports drug discovery efforts across the continent and several of its members are now part of the RAFIKI initiative.
With researchers like Prof. Amewu helping to steer the course, the RAFIKI project marks a major stride toward building a resilient, homegrown research ecosystem in Africa, one capable of responding to the continent’s unique health challenges with innovation and expertise.