The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has fabricated a made-in-Nigeria Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and helicopter for agriculture and security surveillance.
Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Professor Muhammed Sanni Haruna, made this known and said the homegrown technology aims to bridge the infrastructure gap in Nigeria.
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Speaking while receiving an award at the Nigerian Academy of Engineering dinner in Lagos, Haruna, informed that the agency had carried out research on and has successfully designed and manufactured the first electronic voting solution capable of solving voting and coalition challenges in the country, among other innovations.
Technology and food production
He also disclosed that during the onslaught of COVID-19, NASENI was the first government institution to carry out study and successfully manufacture disinfectants to check the spread of the disease.
The use of these new technologies, from aeroponics to modern transportation systems, are gaining traction in Nigeria. With food insecurity on the rise in Nigeria, smallholder farmers are turning to new technologies to improve food production and marketability.
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The global population is predicted to grow by 2 billion by 2050 and with more than half of that growth coming from Sub-Saharan Africa, addressing food insecurity has become a matter of urgency.
Technologies such as modern irrigation ensure farming all year, humidifiers prevent produce from perishing, and temperature-controlled shipping containers tackle the common problem of food wastage. These technologies also range from using social media to connect with others in the sector, to partnering with companies that provide drone technology and remote sensing.
