Abdulsalam Omotunde and Korole Elizabeth Boluwatife of Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School, Yaba, Lagos have emerged winners of the 2023 Nigerian Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
About 60 entries were received from different schools across the country and only seven made it to the final.
The winning project ‘Bithermal Water Distillation Device’ presented by Abdulsalam Omotunde and Korole Elizabeth Boluwatife uses the readily available solar energy in the tropics to purify water. The project was adjudged the best by the panel of jury due to the ability to make potable water available to all and because it is cost-effective, economically viable, practicable and scalable.
Two other schools – Noble International Secondary School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and Faith Point School, Idimu Lagos State were ranked second and third positions respectively at the national finals and award ceremony held at the Embassy of Sweden, Abuja.
Igwe Divine Emmanuel and Christian Divine Favour of Noble International Secondary School project focused on ‘Eco-friendly Water Purification Method’. They used locally sourced materials to treat polluted water, while Adesanmi Rachel and Owolabi Oyindamola of Faith Point School presented a project on ‘Recycling Fishing Water.’
The members of the jury for the 2023 Nigerian Stockholm Junior Water Prize were National Coordinator, Organised Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH), Dr. Nicholas Igwe, President, Female Professionals in Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene in Nigeria (FEMInWASH), Dr. Boluwaji Onabolu, Dr. Joachim Ezeji of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Director General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clement Nze.
The Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englund recalled the origin of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and how Nigeria has participated in the international competition since 2018.
She reiterated the embassy’s commitment to support laudable projects in Nigeria. Hahn-Englund said the Swedish government through Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) focuses on a range of research and development topics within and around water that support decision-makers globally.
She pointed out that the institute leverages on knowledge and convening power to strengthen water governance for a just, prosperous and sustainable future.
The Deputy Head of Missions, Embassy of Sweden, Mr. Joran Bjallerstedt, presented certificates to the finalists and mentors, as well as teachers and the 2023 best supportive person to the Lagos State Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) Coordinator, Mr. Aberuagba Abiodun.
The National Organiser, Nigerian Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Mr. Ikechukwu Chinemerem, said the national winners would be representing Nigeria at the International Finals in Stockholm Sweden in August.
He commended the friendship and hospitality of the embassy over the years and appreciated members of the panel of jury for their commitment to raise the next generation of water leaders in Nigeria.
Onabolu, the guest speaker for the event, and a member of the panel of jury, said young people are seeds of change for a water-wise world. She congratulated the finalists and encouraged them to keep up the good work as they hold the key to solving contemporary water challenges.
