Three Nigerian innovators have been shortlisted among 15 others to compete for the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation (APEI) by the United Kingdom’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
The shortlisted innovations include a remote healthcare monitoring system improving rural healthcare; a low-energy; low-pollution cooking stove, accessible electric mobility solutions, among others, according to a statement from the UK Royal Academy of Engineering.
The Nigerians shortlisted for the 2023 prize are Chukwuemeka Eze who invented Electric Mobility, an e-mobility service which converts gas-powered three-wheel motorbikes to run on batteries, saving up to 60 per cent on running costs.
Tolulope Olukokun, who is part of the list, invented ThinkBikes CoolMAX, an electric cargo bike with a battery-powered fridge to help Nigeria’s smallholder farmers get fresh crops to market.
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Cletus Ekpoh invented Waste-to-Wealth Enhancer, a four-part recycling system, to help informal waste collectors.
The three Nigerians, with 12 other African innovators, would undergo an eight-month period of tailored training and mentoring which would culminate into a showcase event where a winner will be selected to receive £25,000. Three runners up will receive 10,000 each. However, an additional One-to-Watch award of £5,000 will be given to the most promising innovator.
The Africa Prize is run by the Royal Academy of Engineering and awards crucial commercialisation support to African innovators who are tackling local challenges with scalable engineering solutions.
The Africa Prize has a track record of identifying engineering entrepreneurs with significant potential, many of whom have gone on to achieve greater commercial success and social impact.