UNIMAID develops device to stimulate Alpha jet performance

The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) on Sunday said it has developed a local device to stimulate the performance of the Alpha jets used by the Nigerian Air Force in light attacks and advance training.

Coordinator of intellectual property and technology transfer of the university, Prof. Ba’ana Bukar, disclosed this in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Prof. Bukar said that the device known as anti-skid braking system helps in slowing down the speed of the aircraft and maintaining its balance even on wet runways.

“The device was developed by Muhammad Shuwa from the Centre for Entrepreneurship of the university. As I am talking to you, this device has already been put to use on the Alpha jet,” the academic said.

Also, he said that the university has developed “a hybrid solar drier, an equipment that can be used to dry fish and other agricultural produce using charcoal at night and solar during the day. This was the first innovation produced in the university by Muinat Bello.”

He added further that the university has obtained a patent licence for the products to prevent intellectual property theft.

According to him, the university is working on producing a cylindrical parabolic reflecting telecom device that can be used by the armed forces to detect movement in the nation’s air space.

He said that that such a device would be used to consolidate on the efforts of the military in the ongoing counter- insurgency operations.

Prof. Bukar said that the university has organised sensitisation workshops in partnership with the National Office of Technology Acquisition Promotion (NOTAP) to enhance the capacity of staff in the area of intellectual property.

He bemoaned that poor funding and lack of partnership opportunities has stalled many researches and inventions at the university.