Nigerian researcher secures €1.5m ERC grant to study health effects Of vaping

Through the five-year VAPE-HABIT programme, Agbaje will seek to generate evidence on the possible effects of vaping across multiple biological and health systems.

The project’s broad focus is expected to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how vaping and nicotine exposure could influence the health and development of young people.

Grant Supports Independent Research Programme

The ERC Starting Grant is designed to support promising researchers as they establish independent research programmes and pursue ambitious scientific questions with the potential for significant long-term impact.

Agbaje’s award therefore represents both substantial financial support for the VAPE-HABIT project and international recognition of his research capabilities.

The funding will provide the resources required to undertake the five-year programme and investigate questions surrounding youth vaping and health.

The project could contribute to the growing scientific evidence on vaping, particularly in relation to young people whose exposure to nicotine products has become an increasing public health concern.

By examining the heart, brain, kidneys, liver and metabolic system, the research will look beyond individual health outcomes and explore the broader effects that vaping and nicotine exposure may have across different aspects of the body.

The findings could provide evidence relevant to ongoing discussions about youth nicotine use, prevention strategies and public health policy, while potentially informing efforts to protect young people from harmful health outcomes associated with nicotine exposure.

Spotlight On African Research Talent

Agbaje’s achievement also highlights the contribution of researchers of African origin to international scientific research.

His academic journey from Nigeria to Finland demonstrates the growing participation of African researchers in global research programmes and scientific projects addressing challenges that extend beyond national borders.

The ERC funding gives Agbaje an opportunity to lead a major research programme within a European research institution while contributing evidence to an area of increasing global health concern.

The project also reflects the potential value of international academic connections between Nigeria and Finland, particularly in creating opportunities for researchers of African origin to participate in and lead internationally significant scientific work.

As vaping becomes increasingly common among younger populations, research capable of establishing its potential long-term health consequences remains important for policymakers, educators, health professionals and families.

The VAPE-HABIT project is expected to add to this evidence base as it examines the relationship between vaping, nicotine exposure and multiple dimensions of young people’s health over the course of the five-year programme.

For Africa, Agbaje’s success offers another example of researchers of African origin contributing to scientific work with global relevance.

His ERC Starting Grant not only provides substantial backing for research into an emerging public health concern but also places a Nigerian researcher at the centre of an international scientific effort to better understand the potential consequences of youth vaping.

The eventual findings from the project could help strengthen scientific understanding of vaping and inform future conversations around youth nicotine use, prevention and public health protection.