A young Nigerian inventor, Ibrahiem Bala, has developed an innovative device aimed at saving lives on the road. The 22-year-old from Bichi Local Government Area in Kano State has created a pair of glasses that help prevent drivers from dozing off behind the wheel.
Called the “Driver’s Anti-Sleep Alarm Device,” the invention detects when a driver’s eyes are closed for too long and immediately triggers an alarm to wake them up. The goal is simple: prevent accidents caused by drowsy driving — a leading cause of road crashes globally and in Nigeria.
Bala, a self-taught innovator, said he was inspired to create the device after a tragic accident that shook Kano State earlier in 2025. In the incident, several young athletes lost their lives in a crash allegedly caused by a driver who fell asleep while driving.
“That accident really touched me,” Bala said. “I kept thinking about how those lives could have been saved if the driver had stayed alert. So I decided to come up with something that could help prevent that from happening again.”
The glasses are designed to monitor the user’s eye activity. If the eyes remain closed beyond a safe period, the device activates an alarm — either sound-based or through vibration — to alert the driver and keep them awake.
Though still in its early stages, Bala’s invention has received widespread praise across Nigeria. Videos and photos of the prototype have gone viral on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with many Nigerians celebrating the young man’s creativity and practical thinking.
Several users online have urged the federal and state governments, especially the Ministry of Transportation and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), to support Bala in developing and commercialising the glasses. Road safety advocates have also expressed hope that the device could help reduce the alarming rate of traffic accidents linked to driver fatigue.
Drowsy driving is one of the less talked-about causes of road accidents in Nigeria, but it remains a deadly threat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and local traffic safety reports, fatigue is responsible for thousands of road crashes each year, many of them fatal.
In Nigeria, long-distance drivers — especially commercial bus and truck drivers — often travel for hours without rest, increasing the risk of falling asleep while driving. Poor road conditions, long working hours, and lack of enforcement of rest rules also worsen the situation.
So far, Bala has funded the project using his own limited resources. He is now calling on both government agencies and private investors to help him improve the design and take it to the market.
“I believe this can save lives, but I need support to develop it further, test it professionally, and produce it on a large scale,” he said.
Several local tech hubs and innovation centres have reportedly reached out to Bala, and there are talks of him being invited to showcase the invention at future technology and youth development forums.
For many, Bala’s story is a reminder of the untapped talent and potential among Nigerian youths — and the impact they can have when given the opportunity.
