The Lagos State Government has described the AmbuVent, the ventilator produced by a team of researchers from the University of Lagos as a game changer,.
Mr Hakeem Fahm, the State Commissioner for Science and Technology, stated this during the presentation of the AmbuVent to the government by the researchers.
Fahm said the device, known as the University of Lagos/Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (UNILAG/LASRIC) AmbuVent, whose project was sponsored by the Lagos State Government, will help solved the problem of the limited global availability of ventilators, which are highly specialised equipment that cost millions of Naira or Dollars.
“And here, we have a team of engineers, medical professionals and scientists working together to come up with a locally-sourced product that works.
“This is going to be a ‘game changer’ in Nigeria because we no longer have to wait to place orders for something like this, when it can actually be manufactured locally.
“You can have a big one as well as a miniature one that can be carried anywhere, which can be very useful for rural areas.
“Because it is made in Nigeria, the researchers are cognisant of the fact that there are challenges of electricity; so, this device can operate with the regular power supply, battery and also can be solar-powered. It is a plus,” Fahm said.
On his part, Mr Olatunbosun Alake, Special Assistant to Lagos Governor on Innovation and Technology, said he was not surprised that the scholars came up with the device.
Dr Uzoma Oduah, of the Department of Physics, University of Lagos, one of the developers of the AmbuVent, said he inspired the project and was excited at the feat, which he described as “materialisation of a dream.”
“My thought when I started was to achieve reliability, efficiency, affordability, over 80 per cent local content, mass production ability and simple device.
“All those are embedded in the project.
The ventilator is a device aimed at proffering solution to respiratory challenges associated with COVID-19 and other respiratory issues.
