Coronavirus: Sports Minister launches machines, masks

Nigeria’s Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare on Thursday unveiled a no contact hand washing and sanitizing machine designed by a 27-year-old Nigerian Jerry Isaac Mallo amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The locally fabricated machine is designed to perform the dual function of hand washing and sanitizing the hands without using the hands as it is operated with the use of the legs.

Also, serving Youth Corps who designed face masks and produced hand sanitisers were presented to the Minister by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brigadier General Ibrahim Shaibu.

In his address at the ceremony in Abuja, Dare commended the inventor of the machine Mallo as well as the Youth Corps for their innovation and foresight in the fight against Covid-19.

He said: “This is a very symbolic occasion as these youths have come up with novel innovations to fight the Covid-19 scourge. Their response in partnering with the Ministry would go a long way to curtail the spread of the virus from container tops. Mass production of these products will further help achieve government’s aim of job creation.

“The Ministry will support them to build capacity to train youths in welding and fabrication at our youth centres across the geo-political centres. The NYSC has taken the bull by the horn in the fight against this pandemic by producing and distributing free hand sanitisers, face masks and soap.”