A NIGERIAN INVENTS FIRE DETECTOR, CALLS ON STAKEHOLDERS TO SUPPORT HIS INVENTION
HOW FIRE DETECTOR CAN SAVE ECONOMY FROM AVOIDABLE LOSES
INVENTOR ENGR UMAR MOHAMED LAWAL is a Niger state based inventor and manufacturer of fire detectors and alarm equipment that are able to sense and reveal imminent fire outbreak in cars, shops, offices and houses. In this interview he spoke about his equipment and the need for government and stakeholders to be more receptive to indigenous inventions so that the inventors can be encouraged to advance and contribute their quota to national development
WHAT MOTIVATED YOUR PRODUCTION OF FIRE DETECTORS? ever before having my background in sciences, I noticed that I am always naturally thinking about producing things that can solve problems, we all know the damages and economic problems that can happen from fire disasters properties can be razed down by fire if there is no notification to stop it . My fire detectors can prevent any form of fire from happening because it will call attention to it that will enable the impending fire to be handled. I built my fire detection devices using durable and efficient cables, pans and batteries. My fire detectors are able to trace and raise alarm that fire is about breaking in an area. My fire detectors for cars are configured in such a way that it identifies the exact part of the car where the fire can happen, it signals the impending fire notification through the alarm in the detector, I have fire detectors for houses of up to twenty five(25) blocks of building and I have the possibility of increasing the coverage to more buildings. I have a detector that can serve several shops in a market or shopping malls, each shop owner is connected and identified on a single large pan structured in a way that if there is impending fire in a shop or house, it will pin point the exact shop or house making it easy to locate the apartment and the source of the impending fire. HOW IS YOUR LEVEL OF COVERAGE AND ACCEPTANCE? Invention is natural with me. When I was around 19years I manufactured an alarm device that was helping me to wake up to read at night, people became interested in it and I was able to showcase it in a Kaduna exhibition in 1986, the then minister of commerce and industry recognized my invention but nothing was done about it but now I know better how to make my inventions popular and acceptable. I am working on having my patent, I want my invention to be recognized, tested and accepted as solution to fire disasters, I am doing the necessary interaction with the patent officers in charge of inventions at the ministry of science, technology and innovation. I have a written record of the stages of my productions, I am very sure of what I am doing, I am also thinking about upgrading from alarming to include the ability of automated call to fire service operators no matter how far away from impending fire outbreak, I have made attempt to discuss with federal fire service, I was told to get the necessary approval and I am working on it. I want the government and concerned citizens of our country to support my invention, I also want federal fire service to give my equipment the necessary concern in avoiding fire outbreaks and its problem, this will enable us to improve our economy as a country.
