An 18-year-old Nigerian-German recording artiste and technology entrepreneur, Georgia Oviesu, has developed an emergency communication application that enables users to send distress messages without internet connectivity.

This feature, she believes could help improve rescue operations and combat kidnapping in Nigeria.

Known professionally as Gia Réi, Oviesu said the Android application, SafeLink, uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh technology to allow devices within range to communicate directly with one another without relying on Wi-Fi, mobile networks or internet connectivity.

Addressing journalists via Zoom on Thursday, she said the application was developed after identifying what she described as a gap between the point when an emergency occurs and the arrival of rescue.

“Thousands of people lose their lives every year to natural disasters, and millions are affected by kidnapping. The reason why I created this app was because I recognised the gap between rescue and death,” she said.

According to her, SafeLink is designed to give people caught in dangerous situations a means of communicating with rescuers even when conventional communication infrastructure is unavailable.

The app has two main user categories; survivor and rescuer. A survivor can activate an SOS button to send an emergency message, while a rescuer using the application can receive the alert from a nearby device.

Oviesu explained that users are required to register their details on the app, including their name, age, height and other relevant information, which can then be accessed by a designated rescuer when an SOS is triggered.

She said the current version can transmit messages within about 100 metres through Bluetooth, with the devices automatically connecting and relaying messages between one another.

The technology, she added, could have practical applications in Nigeria’s fight against kidnapping, particularly in isolated communities and locations where mobile network coverage is unavailable.

“In Nigeria, you could be on an abandoned road at night. You could also be at the mountain. You could be anywhere. It goes for every dangerous situation,” she said, adding that the technology could also be useful during building collapses and other disasters where victims may be unable to call for help.

She, however, acknowledged that SafeLink is still being enhanced, with the ultimate objective of extending its communication range through multi-device relays.

“My goal is for the app to be able to send messages device to device to device, reaching and spanning over two kilometres,” she said.

The young entrepreneur is expected to demonstrate the technology in Nigeria later in September as part of efforts to showcase its potential humanitarian applications.

Beyond technology, Oviesu is also the co-founder and vice president of the Bennie Griffins Academy, a free school for underprivileged children in Adiyan, Ogun State, which is scheduled to officially open in September.

The school currently has about 100 children on its waiting list and is designed to provide free education, meals, uniforms and other support to children who may otherwise have limited access to quality education.

Oviesu said the school would combine the Nigerian curriculum with German and French language instruction, creative arts and opportunities in areas including science, technology, robotics and other disciplines.

Her work spans technology, education and music. As Gia Réi, she records Afrobeats-influenced R&B and pop, with singles including “Cara” and “Taking Your Time”.

Explaining the motivation behind her various projects, she said her guiding philosophy had always been that privilege should be measured by the impact a person can make.

“Privilege isn’t what you have. It’s what you’re able to change,” she said.

She emphasised that her long-term ambition was to see the educational initiative extended to all 36 states of the federation, arguing that access to quality education should not remain a privilege.

For SafeLink, she said the broader objective was to provide people with “a voice” in moments when conventional communication systems fail, particularly in emergencies where every minute could determine whether a victim survives. (The Guardian)

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