First Nigerian-Made Ventilator To Be Unveiled By Today

Ogbonnaya Onu

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure has produced the first made in Nigeria ventilators, according to Punch.

The development is aimed at combating the COVID-19 disease in the country.

Ventilator is a vital equipment in the treatment of coronavirus patients.

NASENI has equally produced mobile sprayers, which are to be used to disinfect Nigerian cities and homes.

A notice by NASENI spokesman, Segun Ayeoyenikan, on Monday, disclosed that Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, would unveil the devices on Tuesday (today).

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance, recently begged for ventilators from an American billionaire.

The government eventually withdrew the plea, which was widely seen as a national embarrassment.

Nigeria reportedly has just a few ventilators, a development which has been attributed to the neglect of the country’s health sector over the years.

Some of the country’s major health institutions, including the high profile State House Clinic, located in the Presidential Villa, the seat of power, lack basic equipment and drugs, even though they receive billions of naira in allocations annually.

The global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its severe impact in most of the advanced countries, has forced Nigerian leaders who contracted the disease to seek treatment in the country.