Two creative budding engineers are making waves in Niger State after building their own light aircraft from recycled materials, as seen in footage captured at the Kontagora Airstrip.
According to Muazu Sani and James Steven Tanko , they sourced their materials from local components for their makeshift plane, including a water hose and the wheels from a discarded wheelbarrow.
“We got a jerrycan, which we converted into the fuel tank of the aircraft, using some water hose for the connection. We used wood for the propeller,” Sani explained.
“We used the clutch of a motorcycle as the control wheel of the aircraft. As regards the tyres, we got them from wheelbarrows,” he added.
Sani said, he aims to continue building aircraft and other mechanical creations and hopes to receive financial assistance to invent even better designs.
“I prefer to continue with these building mechanical works. If I can get financial assistance from people I’ll be glad because such assistance would help me build better work,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sani’s colleague James Steven Tanko made an appeal to all Nigerians and the wider aviation industry, saying he needs help to fulfill his dream of becoming a full-time engineer.
We are appealing to Nigerians to help us with whatever they can, financially and the whole industry in general, whether financially or technically because we don’t want this project to stop here,” he said.
It could be recalled that many young and gifted Nigerians have made a lot of technological breakthroughs in the Engineering fields in the past but are still crying to the government for financial and materials assistance’ in order to move forward in their bid to rescue the country from the clutches of foreign importations or exploitative technological transfers.
Efforts should be made by the government and philanthropists to assist these young Nigerians who are desirous for technological inventions. The ministry of science and technology should fish out these boys and liaise with the government to assist them and others with bigger ambitions. They must not allow their dreams to rot away.
The government should assist financially, and other means. They also need to upgrade their education for ingenuity.
God bless Nigerian youths . God bless Nigeria.