Assoc Prof. Hoe was invited by the Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, to undertake an academic visit under the auspices of the Asia–Africa Development University Network. The visit took place from 26 to 30 November 2013 and was coordinated by Dr Oche M. Oche from the Department of Community Health, with hosting support from the Head of Department, Professor Taofeek Ibrahim.
The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Sokoto was extensive, involving multiple flight connections via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Lagos, and Abuja before reaching the final destination. Sokoto is located in northern Nigeria, near the border with Niger, approximately 600 km from Abuja, the administrative capital, and about 1,000 km from Lagos, the country’s principal commercial hub.
This visit marked the first engagement of an academic staff member from the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health–University of Malaya (COEHUM) with Usmanu Danfodiyo University. The programme included strategic discussions on potential research collaborations between the two institutions, as well as preliminary engagement with two prospective PhD candidates.
During the visit, Assoc Prof. Hoe delivered a public lecture titled “Occupational Hazards of Nurses” at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital. He also conducted a lecture on “Occupational Health Services” for postgraduate students at the university, contributing to capacity building in occupational health education.
In addition, he visited the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) station operated by the Zamfara State Ministry of Health in Zamfara State, located approximately 200 km southeast of Sokoto. The station comprises a networked system of computers and workstations used for the entry and management of health and demographic data collected from surrounding communities. Data collection is conducted biannually by trained enumerators and subsequently entered by data clerks into individual workstations connected to a central server. The facility is supported by dedicated backup power systems, including batteries and generators, ensuring data continuity, security, and integrity.
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