As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility and effort at reducing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA has donated some locally manufactured temperature checkers and hand sanitizer machines to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The commandant of the academy Major General, Jamilu Sarham, while donating the items to the agency stated that the Department of Mechatronics and the Center for Innovation and Creativity produced the items as part of research and development conducted to reduce the spread of the virus.
The Commandant said that the academy produced 50 sanitizer dispensing machines which have been deployed to military barracks and formations across the country and some other governmental institutions.
While applauding NITDA for its various initiatives and efforts at deepening the penetration of Information Technology across the country, General Sarham noted that the pandemic has changed the way things are done “and NITDA plays a crucial role at positioning IT as pillar of support at the peak of the pandemic,” he said.
Receiving the items on behalf of the agency, Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solution, Dr Usman Abdullahi expressed the NITDA’s profund gratitude on behalf of the Director General of agency to the academy for the kind gesture.
Dr Abdullahi recalled that the agency came up with different initiatives aimed at promoting ingenuity and innovations among Nigerians. He added that the agency organised competitions for Nigerians which had 15,000 entries and three innovative ideas were selected as winners.
He said that the agency has partnered with other relevant agencies to help develop the ideas of the winners into products. “The solutions developed are smart disinfectant chamber, Ventilator and a portal for medical consultation myclinic.com app,” he noted.
While reiterating the agency’s efforts during the peak of the pandemic, the Dr Abdullahi said NITDA as the government’s regulatory agency for Information Technology organised hackathon challenge and series of webinars aimed at coming up with innovative solutions to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
The Director used the occasion to inform the Commandant that as part of efforts to ensure Nigeria take an advantageous position in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the agency would be commissioning the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics which would provide platform for Nigerians with creative ideas to enjoy government support and mentorship.
He stated further that NITDA would soon kickstart Technology Entrepreneurship and Support Scheme programme with the aim of identifying innovative Nigerians and give them opportunities to develop ideas and create opportunities that would reveal the potentials in them.
