The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has installed its branded disinfectant sprayer at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) headquarters, to boost the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the installation on Thursday in Abuja, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NASENI, said that home-grown technology was employed to manufacture the sprayer.
Haruna, handing over the new installed hybrid disinfectant sprayer to the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami, expressed appreciation to FIRS for the confidence reposed on NASENI.
“The device is fitted with temperature sensor; if somebody’s temperature is above normal, it will blow siren and alert that this man does not need to enter.
“With this, you have prevented the spread of the virus and I assure you this will work very well.
“This safety tunnel disinfects individuals as they enter your premises; with this in place and the virological resolve we have, you can be sure nobody is bringing in virus to your premises,” he said.
The NASENI boss, however, explained that the hybrid disinfectant sprayer in form of tunnel was not designed to cure infected persons.
“Also, the safety tube could disinfect clothes or bodies with virus, to prevent conveyance and spread of the disease within the protected premises,” he said.
Nami, while receiving the newly installed disinfectant sprayer, commended NASENI for the innovation and stressed the need for inter-agency collaboration.
According to him, the patronage of NASENI product will strengthen collaboration between the two agencies of the Federal Government.
“The essence of patronising NASENI is to encourage agency-to-agency collaboration; we have people that produce this, some are even imported.
“We feel we should patronise our sister agency that we feel can even do better than the one marketed to us.
“Secondly, the safety of our staff is key because, as you always hear from the monthly FAAC allocation meeting, FIRS today contributes over 70 per cent of the revenue being shared.
“The safety of personnel, therefore, becomes priority for the current management; so, we appreciate NASENI that when we came knocking, you answered us.
“We pray that this COVID-19 will disappear and my staff will be able to collect revenue that is needed, considering fall in oil prices and dwindling fortunes from other sectors of our economy,” Nami said.
He said that the NASENI hybrid safety tunnel would be installed in FIRS offices in Lagos, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Kaduna, among others.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ibrahim Abdulmalik, staff of NASENI Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute, said that the installation of disinfectant sprayers at FIRS state offices would commence before end of July.
“FIRS is collaborating with us, to mass produce this equipment for all its centres across the country.
“As from next week, installation of the equipment will be done in other FIRS zonal offices,” Abdulmalik said. (NAN)