The Federal Government has said the latest made-in-Nigeria ventilators and other intervention products recently manufactured by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will minimise the number of coronavirus deaths in the country.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonayya Onu, disclosed this during the facility inspection of NASENI COVID-19 intervention products alongside Senate and House Committees on Science and Technology, on Thursday, in Abuja.
“The ventilators and other initiatives are our very own design, where we decided to use our engineering sector and which can be used also for post COVID-19 in order to show the world that we can do better”, the minister said.
He said Nigerians have the capacity to make a difference by changing the situation for a positive turn, adding that the federal government will encourage technologists, scientists and engineers to be self-reliant in many areas particularly in meeting the needs of the people.
Also speaking, the Chairman Senate, Committee on Science and Technology Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife commended NASENI for its efforts, adding that it is a perfect initiative to curb the virus.
She further said that the government will in turn ensure to grow the technological sector, adding that they would in their capacity get hospitals and other related sectors to buy into the technology.
Earlier, while giving his welcome remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof Mohammed Sani Haruna, said the invention was due to the boost from the ministry to bring about their scientific contribution to curb COVID-19 outbreak.
Haruna said the aim for the invention of the devices is to support the federal government in building the nation.
He further assured the federal government of producing more of such inventions within a short period of time.
