Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo. SAN on Friday commended Bowen University for its recent technological invention which he described as an “amazing achievements”
Osinbajo via a series of tweets praised the University for its technological strides which he explained has made him and other Nigerians proud of their nationality.
The University recently deployment the first and currently the only equatorial low-latitude SuperDARN – a network of High Frequency radars in the world.
The invention, SuperDarn is a network of High Frequency radars (atmospheric observatory) that look into Earth’s upper atmosphere. The radars operate round the clock and they observe the motion of charged particles (plasma) in the ionosphere and other effects that provide scientists with information on Earth’s space environment. Their work provides insights into space weather hazards, among others.
VT-NigerBEAR was developed by a team of scientists led from Bowen University and the Virginia Tech University, USA.
Osinbajo while commissioning the facility on Friday hailed the University and its tech team for the feat which is situated in Iwo, Osun State, according to him, the invention will impact many aspects of life and commerce in Nigeria and beyond.
“Congratulations to this great citadel of learning and research -the Bowen University for this amazing achievement and for making us all so proud.
“We are all extremely proud of Bowen University and the team that has worked on this project, placing Nigeria on the SuperDARN global map and in the network of nations that play host to the international scientific radar network.” he said.
The Vice President also added, “It is the first and presently the only deployment of an equatorial-low-latitude SuperDARN anyplace in the world,” when asked about the significance of the use of the technology. This will have a significant influence on many facets of life and business and represents a significant advance in the search for answers to HF and GPS signal degradations.
“The extensive experience of the SuperDARN creates opportunities for Nigeria to leverage existing expertise, information, and data as she joins a global network with experience spanning decades”.
The Vice President urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors to “take advantage of the data collected by SuperDARN worldwide, utilizing the data obtained and in collaboration with the network to contribute to the understanding of space weather and its impact on operations such as radio and satellite communications, oil pipelines and power grids.”
