Why I’m creating road, security response systems – Young techy, Sulaiman

Mukhtar Sulaiman is a graduate of Economics from Nasarawa State University Keffi who is deeply enthusiastic about technological innovations. In this interview, the frontend app developer with an extensive experience in web apps and product management, speaks about his emergency reporting and response systems, among others. What’s your line of work and the services you […]

Mukhtar Sulaiman is a graduate of Economics from Nasarawa State University Keffi who is deeply enthusiastic about technological innovations. In this interview, the frontend app developer with an extensive experience in web apps and product management, speaks about his emergency reporting and response systems, among others.

What’s your line of work and the services you offer?

I am a computer analyst and web developer. I Co-founded Qvortex Software Solutions a start-up company that renders custom-built web and mobile management system services like School Management Systems, Transcript Management Systems and Interactive Analytical Geographical Information Systems.

• NCAA petitioned as Air Peace disrespects Emir of Kano
• 1 killed, houses burnt as Benue communities resume clash

What have you done differently from what is being done?

I built an app called Highway Emergency Detection System (HEDeS), a Mobile Emergency Report System (MEReS) and also designed the Hazoo Emergency Response System that could encounter and terminate insurgencies in Nigeria and beyond.

What specific problem are you trying to solve with your innovations?

We all know that our nation is under siege. Insecurity has worsened in Nigeria since 2018 and Nigeria has been listed as the third most terrorized nation among the 2020 Most Terrorized Nations in the World by StatiSense. Yet, there is no single system that can protect and defend against insurgency as well as providing safety for security personnel. Youths have the most role to play in securing our motherland and not to always depend on the security forces.

So, HEDeS is an acoustic monitoring system which is capable of detecting and notifying various dangers at highways by listening and transmitting sounds from highways to a cloud server in which it analyzes, identifies distress sounds and reports emergencies to the control unit. I built a Sound Analysis A.I that contains 60 different sets of distress sounds (categorized into six; screams, car crash, gunshots, cries, commotion and sounds of explosions). Security agencies will receive real-time alerts of any distress or emergency at highways so action can be taken immediately.

The MEReS is an android mobile based app that makes use of text message, picture, and button trigger for victims of unpleasant events like robbery, rape, abduction etc to send an emergency request for aid from security units.

And for Hazoo Emergency Response System, it could tackle the situation using combat drone systems that use tranquilizers to weaken and temporarily paralyze the criminals for 15 to 30 minutes so victims could be able to run to safety. These drones also provide surveillance and report accidents to nearby hospitals to send aid and save lives in time.

The total cost of the emergency response systems will be less than 16% of the Nigerian military 2021 budget. With direct investment from the federal government, Nigeria will become part of the countries that manufacture and supply C5ISR defence technologies like France, U.S.A, China, Pakistan and Israel.

What inspired you to nurture these ideas?

The idea of this emergency systems came up in late 2017 after a highway attack in Zaria-Kano road that cost the life of our Head of Department at university and his secretary who was my cousin was traumatised. I was forced to think of a profound solution to tackle highway robberies and kidnappings. I started working on the emergency systems in 2018 but dropped it due to financial constraints. In January 2019, my younger brother had an accident and was losing blood for an hour before help came, and we however, lost him. So I continued with the project but I need support to implement it.

What steps and effort have you taken on making it useful to the nation?

In June 2021, we went to one of the federal ministries to present it to the Minister, but we were not allowed to make our presentation. Our proposal was kept aside and not sent to the Minister’s office because we could not induce a manager responsible for that since then. We need the support of the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to appropriately demonstrate how the Emergency Response System works. We would also need the support of the Federal Ministry of Defence so that it can be supported and funded by the federal government to be implemented.

In terms of job creation, how will your system help to reduce unemployment?

We decided to make the system manual and the AI and drones will be controlled in a maintained way by personnels and to avoid machine error. So in each city, town or base the Hazoo Emergency Response System will be established and about 83 IT and security staff will be required to run it 24/7. So, tentatively, 83,000 jobs could be created from the establishment of this system.

What is your advice to Nigerian youths on finding prospects in achieving their dreams?

Do not give people what they have in their store, give them what you have in your store. Be creative, and provide solutions in a different profound way, that way your hustle will be much easier and acknowledged.