The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation (APEI) – UK Royal Academy of Engineering has shortlisted six Nigerians among ten Arica innovators for the year 2021.
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation.
It awards crucial commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development.
In 2017, the Prize was won by a Nigerian innovator, Godwin Benson, who developed Tuteria, an online platform that connects people seeking to learn ‘anything’ with verified local experts who can teach them what they want to learn, as well as ensuring safety, accountability and quality learning delivery.
Below are the six Nigerian innovators who made the list:
Elohor Thomas
Elohor Thomas created CodeLn, an automated tech recruitment platform that helps companies looking to hire people in the software engineering field. It is also an accessible learning tool, allowing novices and professional programmers alike to improve their coding skills, with special functions for those with additional needs, such as visually impaired and neurodiverse coders.
Faith Adesemowo
Faith Adesemowo developed Social Lender, a digital service that provides immediate access to formal financial services to those with little to no previous access.
Jacob Azundah
Jacob Azundah developed Aevhas, a high-efficiency garri processing machine, used to process the tuberous roots of the cassava plant into garri – a powdery flour and diet staple across West Africa.
Olugbenga Olufemi Olubanjo
Olugbenga Olufemi Olubanjo created Reeddi, an energy system used to provide clean, reliable and affordable electricity to households and businesses operating in the energy-poor communities of sub-Saharan Africa.
Taofeek Olalekan
Taofeek Olalekan developed RealDrip, a medical device that simplifies essential intravenous therapy, used especially for pregnant women during drip and blood transfusions.
Yusuf Bilesanmi
Yusuf Bilesanmi developed ShiVent, a low-cost, non-electric and non-invasive ventilator for patients with respiratory difficulties, available at a fraction of the cost of mechanical ventilators. Its simple design enables it to be operated by unspecialised healthcare workers.
