Michael Friday, a Nigerian scientist, has invented a device, ‘Mobile Intercom’, which aims at relieving subscribers of telecommunications services from buying recharge cards.
Michael explained that the quest to free Nigerians from over-dependence on highly expensive imported telecom services, informed his decision to come up with the innovative idea.
He recalled the frustrations he had gone through to draw the attention of the authorities to patent his inventions, said he would require financial grants so that Nigerians can benefit from the discovery.
“Instead of going through Wi-Fi, our chip sets can transmit up to 5,000 meters, which is about five kilometres or there about. So if we are able to succeed in developing our own chip sets now, you will see that in an estate, you don’t need to pay money to a telecom company to communicate. In the US today, nobody buys credit anymore. All they buy is subscription. When you buy your subscription, your data and your call card and everything is embedded in one,” he said.
Welcoming the initiative, Engr Danazumi Ibrahim, Director General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), decried that over 90 per cent of the technology in the ICT, transportation, automobile and electronic sectors in Nigeria are imported.
Ibrahim, who noted that funding remains the major challenge impeding the growth of indigenous technology, agreed that the inventive work undertaken by Michael was what is required to achieve the technological advancement of the country.
He however promised to expedite action to ensure Michael’s work is patented accordingly, disclosing that between 2015 to date; his office has patented over 50 intellectual properties of Nigerian scientists and investors.