The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has kicked off a capacity building initiative in Nigeria aimed at strengthening the capacity of young Nigerian scientists to tackle water insecurity, public health risks and research gaps across the country and Africa.
The initiative opened on Wednesday, November 26 at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), where global experts, senior academics and young scientists gathered for the 2025 ASM Mentorship Week and Water Treatment Workshop.
The workshop, hosted at the university’s Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (CEsPESS), marks one of the most ambitious mentorship and water-safety training programmes the society has held in West Africa.
Declaring the week open, Sylvia Anyadoh-Nwadike, ASM Country Ambassador to Nigeria, described the gathering as “a landmark for microbiology in Nigeria and a defining moment for the next generation of African scientific leaders.”
She noted that the programme comes at a time when the continent is grappling with rising water insecurity, climate-driven disease patterns, antimicrobial resistance and widening research inequalities.
“Across our nation and continent, we face urgent challenges. Yet we also have something far more potent, a generation of African scientists who refuse to be defined by limitations”, she added.
Anyadoh-Nwadike informed that the week-long programme will expose participants to a series of hands-on workshops and high-impact career sessions designed to strengthen Nigeria’s scientific pipeline with activities such as; training in water treatment technologies, publishing and grant-writing masterclasses, sessions on public health careers, industry pathways, speed mentoring rounds, academic guidance and international scientific collaboration.
She added that the country’s scientific momentum risks fading without sustained mentorship, structured collaboration and institutional support. “Africa is rising scientifically. But momentum is fragile unless we nurture it. That is why mentorship matters. That is why collaboration matters. That is why events like this are essential,” she said.
Anyadoh-Nwadike assured participants they would experience something rare, and urged them to ask questions, volunteer, seek mentors and push beyond their comfort zones.
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The workshop was attended by senior academic leaders, including Robert Metcalf, a renowned authority on water health based in California, whose decades of work have shaped global water-safety interventions. His participation, according to Anyadoh-Nwadike signals that “our community is part of a broader scientific movement with global impact.”
Also in attendance were winners and finalists of ASM awards, including the 2025 ASM Mentorship Award recipient, Musau Wakabongo, alongside prominent guest speakers, panelists, industry leaders and Nigerian researchers working in public health, entrepreneurship, innovation and science communication.
The ASM Ambassador paid tribute to several partners who worked behind the scenes to bring the programme to life. She acknowledged contributions from the International Water, Health and Development Alliance (IWHA), the Overseas Community Research and Education Foundation (OCREF), and BusinessDay Media, the event’s media partner.
