The First Technical University, Ibadan, has donated washable face masks to the Oyo State Government to support the Governor Seyi Makinde administration in its fight against coronavirus.
The vice chancellor, Professor Ayobami Salami, on Thursday, led principal officers of the institution to the Ministry of Health, Secretariat, Ibadan, where the donation was made.
Among the principal officers were the registrar, Mrs Olayinka Balogun; the bursar, Mr Kehinde Olatokun, and the university’s legal adviser, Mr Yomi Opakunle.
They were received by top officials of the Health Ministry, led by the, Commissioner for Health, Dr Basir Bello.
Speaking at the event, Professor Salami said Tech-U decided to produce and donate the washable masks as its own contribution to the efforts to curtail and eventually stop the pandemic.
“As a university, we believe that we are strategically placed to be part of the solution to the pandemic. That is why our Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurial Training Centre produced the masks.
“Our face masks are different from others in terms of quality and durability. Most masks, you use them and dispose. But because we consider the fact that there is the need to help the generality of our people in conserving fund, we make the masks washable. You use it, you wash it and wear it again.”
Professor Salami said Tech-U research team is also working towards the production of ventilators, as the university believes that universities and other higher institutions in Nigeria must be practically and innovatively relevant to the advancement of society.
“As a Technical University, that is our vision and we thus thank the Ministry of Health and the government in general for always giving us the opportunity to demonstrate relevance and corporate social responsibility,” he said.
In his response, the commissioner acknowledged the cordial relationship between the ministry and Tech-U. He recalled that the institution had been supporting the ministry, including an earlier gesture on the Emergency Situation Centre.
Bello said the masks would prove useful especially with the re-usability factor. He, therefore, solicited the university’s continuous search for interventions that are evidence-based.
According to him, Oyo State is approaching the management of the coronavirus pandemic with fact and necessity of reality.
He said that is why the lockdown it is adopting is partial, because completely shutting down the system would mean locking down the entire economy in which many poor people also operate.
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