Chris Njoku, Owerri
TERTIARY institutions are churning out products invented by their teams of scientists and engineers to support the battles to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Engineers at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State have invented manual and automated handwashing cum sanitiser machines to combat the infiltration of COVID-19 pandemic.
Its Rector, Michael Arimanwa, said the invention would check the infectious disease.
The manual machine is pedal-driven and automated one is solar-driven.
“We thought that because of the knowledge at this virus is transmitted by touch, we came up with the two ideas-pedal-operated and automated driven by solar energy.”
He urged the governments and the private sectors to partner with the institution to mass-produce the machines which could serve useful purposes for the hotels and public places.
The Chairman of the Technical Committee and HOD Chemistry Department, Anderson Ezeibe, added that the machine has 100 litres of water tank which, he said, would be more suitable to the public.
“It is to the specifications of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and we don’t want people to get contaminated by touching any of the units. And then in consideration of the fact that this is a heterogeneous community, we have the physically challenged and for such persons, they may not be able to operate the manual. So we designed the fully automated machine driven by solar energy so that electricity will not be an issue.”
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The invention has also brought to the institution some foreign patronage. It was learnt that since the commissioning, the polytechnic has been receiving calls both from the United States, Europe, Asia, and some Africa countries seeking to purchase the machines.
According to the image-maker of the institution, Everest Nwosu, while some countries were interested in the confirmation of this breakthrough, others wanted to purchase as many quantities as possible.
He said the management of the institution would produce the machines as long as the machines were on demand.
Among those who have expressed their interest in Nigeria, he said, include the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Federal Ministry of Education through the Minister of State, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the Nigerian Breweries, Panda Oil, Zinox Computers and others.
Also, a delegation from the Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), led by their Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Augustine Uwakwe, delivered 600 bottles of GUU Comprehensive Hand Sanitisers, 150 bottles of GUU Sniff-Sniff, 50 bottles of GUU Herbal Honey, 50 bottles of GUU Adonis yellow, which they produced, to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.
The delegation also volunteered to use the GUU fumigation team, kitted with their locally produced, chemicals for decontamination of public places for four days as part of efforts to help the state in the fight against the pandemic.
Also, another team from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in their quest for solution locally produced cartons of sanitisers which they donated to the state government to assist in the fight against Coronavirus disease.
The sanitiser, according to the institution, is 75 per cent alcoholic. This is above the 60 per cent recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Head of the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Cynthia E. Ogukwe, handed over the bags of the sanitisers to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Francis C. Eze. She explained that the department developed a test in the house to determine the quantity of ethanol in the production.
“The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) demands contributions from scientists and researchers all over the world. FUTO therefore, in the spirit of driving the culture of excellence is not left out. The quality hand sanitisers is FUTO’s contributions to Imo state government in the fight against coronavirus disease spread in the state.”
Expressing delight on the provision of 2,000 pieces of 100ml sanitisers which were produced by the institution, Uzodinma urged them on result-oriented research to further develop other scientific items to save our people from coronavirus scourge and other diseases.
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