Faisal Bala, a lecturer with the Department of Mechatronics and Systems Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, has improvised an automated fish farming facility.
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that the facility, made up of dedicated computers, tank, solar power generation and complex water treatment facilities, among others, was on display during the institution’s convocation ceremony on Saturday.
Explaining the facility in an interview with NAN on Saturday in Bauchi, the lecturer said the mechanism would make it possible to engage in fish farming all year round, regardless of climatic changes.
He said: “The system is automated, with less human involvement and also environmentally friendly; it does not discharge dirty water.
“It is powered by solar energy and has a very high stocking density when compared with the conventional system, with the capacity to also accommodate a lot of fish per meter cube of water.”
Bala further explained that the system had android application to enable the monitoring of the pond, using cell phone.
“It is also highly profitable with an excellent return on investment, suitable for graduate empowerment in the area of fish-farming to attain food sufficiency,” he said.
Bala, an alumnus of the University of East London, who studied Electrical Electronic Engineering, with specialty in ‘Embedded Systems’ and bias towards ‘solving local problems in agriculture’, said the project was his idea.
He said: “The project is my innovation, but I co-opted three of my colleagues to see it to fruition. I spent my resources to see to the materialization of the first unit of the facility.
“Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University later funded the construction of the one on display now as part of activities marking the convocation ceremony of the institution.”
The lecturer called on government and corporate organisations to support the mass production of the facility for use in boosting fish farming in the country.
NAN.
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