Four Nigerian innovators have been nominated for the Africa Prize for engineering solutions to the continent’s challenges.
He made it known in an appearance Royal Academy of Engineering.
The four Nigerians are part of a group of 16 African innovators, spread across 10 countries, who will compete for the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
The candidates are from the selected countries: Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to the organizers, the selected innovations provide key solutions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including water, health, agriculture, education, food security, waste and energy challenges.
Innovations include treatment to convert acid mine drainage into drinking water; a portable aquaponics unit that uses fish waste to boost vegetable production; robotics learning tool for kids; a remote health monitoring system and an ecological kitchen that absorbs black carbon.
By mid-2023, four finalists will be selected to present their innovations and business plans to the Africa Prize judges at an event in Accra, Ghana.
The winner will receive £25,000, and the three runners-up will win £10,000 each; An additional One-to-Watch prize of £5,000 will be awarded to the most promising innovator.
Africa Prize
Launched in 2014, the Africa Prize is awarded annually by the Royal Academy of Engineering to ambitious African innovators creating local and scalable solutions to African and international challenges.
It is supported by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund.
The African prize shortlist will have a unique package of support, including business incubation, mentoring, fundraising and communications.
It also includes access to the Academy’s global network of highly experienced engineers and business experts in the UK and Africa.
This year’s selected innovators join the Academy’s network of 134 Africa Prize alumni, which includes innovators who have achieved significant commercial success and social impact across the continent after participating in the Prize, such as 2022 winner Norah Magero and her portable solar power. refrigerated solution for drug transport.
Africa Prize alumni are expected to impact more than three million people over the next five years, and have already created 3,585 jobs – 1,766 for women and 211 for people with disabilities – and raised an additional $14 million in grants and equity funding. Directly contributing to 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Selected innovations and entrepreneurs:
Affordable AMD Solution, Boitumelo Nkatlo, South Africa – Acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment technology using industrial waste to recycle contaminated water for human consumption.
Aquaset, Obed Zar, Ghana – An intelligent water management system that monitors water levels in boreholes and water tanks by regulating the rate at which water is pumped and preventing pump failures and water waste.
Arobot, Cristovão Cacombe, Angola – A robotics learning tool for children that needs to be assembled and programmed to perform specific tasks.
Digital Aquaponics, Flavien Kouatcha Simo, Cameroon – A portable fish farm that uses fish waste as fertilizer to produce organic vegetables, allowing small-scale farmers to increase production.
Electric Mobility, Chukwuemeka Eze, Nigeria – Electric mobility service that converts gas-powered three-wheelers to battery operation, saving 60% on costs.
FlexiGyn, Edmund Wessels, South Africa – A portable device that allows gynecologists to diagnose and treat uterine health problems without anesthesia.
MEDBOX, Emmanuel Ofori Devi, Ghana – A healthcare system that records a patient’s vital signs and then transmits them to doctors who provide remote medical advice.
Multipurpose Earth Brick Machine, Fikru Gebre Dikumbab, Ethiopia – A hand-operated portable machine for making compacted earth bricks using 90-95 percent soil and 5-10 percent cement.
ProbiGal, Dr. Deon Neveling, South Africa – A multi-strain host probiotic designed to promote gut health and prevent bacterial infections in chickens, reducing the need for antibiotics.
Smart Green Stove, Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, Sierra Leone – An efficient non-electric stove designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and health risks by reducing energy use by 70 percent.
Smart Water Tech, Allen Chafa, Zimbabwe – A real-time water quality monitoring system to combat waterborne diseases.
Smokeless Briqs, Eunice Adewale, Nigeria – An ecological briquette and stove to reduce respiratory diseases and deaths caused by cooking on wood fires.
ThinkBikes CoolMAX, Tolulope Olukokun, Nigeria – Electric cargo bike with a battery-operated refrigerator to help smallholder farmers in Nigeria market fresh food.
WAGA Power Pack, Gibson Kawago, Tanzania – A power pack made from recycled laptop batteries to provide reliable and affordable power for e-bikes, power banks, solar lights, businesses and homes.
Waste-to-Wealth Enhancer, Cletus Ekpoh, Nigeria – A four-part recycling system to support informal waste pickers.
YUNGA, Anatoli Kirigwajjo, Uganda – A digital local area network connected through a physical device, using the Internet of Things, to provide security in low-resource areas at low cost.
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