Kaduna ICT Hub Funds ABU Genius Dalhatu Usman to Produce Ventilators for COVID-19

The Kaduna State ICT Hub has granted financial resources for the production of ‘sophisticated’ ventilators whose prototype was fabricated by Dalhatu Usman, a 200-Level student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.

The Chief Executive Officer of KAD ICT Hub, Engr. Yusuf Bashir said the firm provided the fund and resources to encourage the young inventor and tackle the menace of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Recalled that Dalhatu Usman, the 20-year-old young undergraduate, had designed and produced a manual ventilator to be used in treating coronavirus patients. He later transformed his emergency ventilator idea into a portable E-vent automatic ventilator.

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The Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State had also pledged the support of his administration to the young innovator and others from the state to achieve their dreams and obtain the patent to produce more for the world.

The KAD ICT Hub helmsman said the young innovator was tasked to come up with the project following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Engr. Bashir, a software engineer and wireless communication specialist with extensive experience in entrepreneurship and training said: “This kind of invention portends good omen for the technological development of our country.

“Since he was in 100-Level, we discovered that Dalhatu Usman has a mature, innovative, and advanced mind that needs to be supported. We have therefore created an enabling environment for him with adequate supports and encouragement.

“With the pandemic ravaging many societies, we tasked the young inventor to focus his attention on designing the ventilator as there will be in high demand for it in the country. We have so far provided him with adequate funds and other necessary resources including offering a professional designer and quality research information to guide in the design of the project.

“So far, we have already completed the “Beyond Clean” machine with the young ABU undergraduate and already partnering the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in various relevant ways to support the biomedical device in treating COVID-19 patients.

“Meanwhile, on the clinical trial of the prototype of the ventilator, we have been working with the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Gombe and improving the device based on their recommendations. So far, we have gotten incredibly very positive feedbacks as the Hospital is testing the ventilator.”

The Kaduna State Government is a strategic partner of the KAD ICT HUB, a place where entrepreneurs, software developers, and technologists converge to develop world-class products and solutions for the domestic and international markets.