By Politico staff writer
Four innovators from Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda have been selected to compete for a whooping £25,000 (twenty five thousand pounds) Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation award.
The finalists and the prizes were announced through a press release dated 8th June, 2023 by the organizers.
The winner will be announced in Accra, Ghana, on 6th July, 2023, and the three other finalists will be receiving £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) each.
The four finalists were selected from a shortlist of 15 African innovators for their proven ability to harness engineering to address common problems faced by Africans across the continent. The innovations are set to tackle challenges central to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, peaceful and inclusive societies, and reduced inequalities.
The Innovations to be competed for include electro mobility motorbike conversion, a portable uterine inspection device, power packs made from recycled batteries, and a local digital security network for community safety.
According to the release, Chukwuemeka Eze, a Nigerian electrical engineer, who is one of the finalists developed the Revive Kit, a modular e-mobility service used to convert gas-powered three-wheeled motorbikes to run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. It explained that Drivers can save up to 60% in operational costs, including gas or petrol, and 90% in maintenance costs.
Eze’s company according to the release also trains technicians in the use of the kit.
“With surging fuel prices in Africa, the Revive Kit aims to be part of the solution. Too many drivers are spending over 60% of their revenue on petrol and maintenance; we aim to deliver an affordable and sustainable transport system which is environmentally friendly,” part of the release states.
Another finalist, Edmund Wessels, a South African biomedical engineer is said to have developed FlexiGyn, a battery-powered portable handheld device enabling gynecologists to diagnose and treat a woman’s uterus without anesthetic or expensive equipment, increasing women’s access to reproductive healthcare, particularly in remote areas. It is noted that the Typical hysteroscopy systems are rigid, leading to high levels of patient discomfort, requiring bulky additional equipment for visualization and that this innovative device offers a more comfortable and efficient experience for both patients and healthcare providers.
In addition to the hardware, the release explained that Wessels and his team are developing integrated software solutions that seamlessly connect the FlexiGyn device with existing medical practice systems.
“We’ve developed a system that aims to improve women’s health through better point-of-care diagnostics. Designed for both the physician and patient, our solution is an intuitive, user-friendly device that is more comfortable for the patient thanks to its flexible design,” he said in the release.
Gibson Kawago, a Tanzanian electrical engineer who is also competing for the grand prizem, developed the WAGA PAWA Pack, a rechargeable power source created from recycled laptop lithium-ion batteries, providing a reliable and affordable electricity source. It is explained in the release that batteries are tested over two to four weeks to ensure conformity to the manufacturer’s standard, noting that once assembled, the pack has an output of either 12, 24, 36 or 48 DC volts, or inverted to 203 or 110 AV volts, suitable for different applications, including powering lights, appliances and heaters.
“WAGA Power Packs provide low-carbon power to homes and allow businesses to keep operating after sundown. Depending on the size of the battery and its purpose, it can provide electricity for anywhere from thirteen hours to one month. We are striving to change the lives of Tanzanians, particularly those in resource-scarce rural areas,” part of the release explained.
The last finalists, Anatoli Kirigwajjo, a Ugandan software engineer developed YUNGA, a local digital security network that connects neighbours to each other and police within a 20km radius via a physical device, smartphone app or SMS service, providing security at a low cost. It is explained that if Communities are divided into networks of 10 to 30 households, each will be receiving a device connected to a local area network.
It is further explained in the release that in cases of emergency, pressing a button sets off a alarm on all devices connected to the network, and sends a message with the victim’s details to other devices, which will prompt a community response.
YUNGA is also said to operate in areas with no internet through a long range wide area network. It reduces responses times from hours to the shortest time possible for members of the network to reach someone in danger.
“I developed YUNGA after losing USD 1,300 worth of assets in a break-in, with little chance of the thieves being caught. We hope that with our household networks, communities will become harder targets for criminals. This will ensure safety, which in turn will create the space for economic activities to thrive,” said Kirigwajjo was quoted saying.
The 2023 finalists will pitch their innovations to a panel of five judges and a live and online audience in Accra on the 6th of July this year.
Copyright (2023) Politico (12/06/23)
