Category: Science & Technology

MultiChoice Nigeria has named Elah Ajene of Nigeria Tulip International College, Abuja, and Prosper Okarike of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, as in-country winners of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards competition for 2017.

Elah Ajene emerged winner in the essay category, while Prosper Okarike emerged winner in the poster category. The awards are part of efforts by MultiChoice to promote science and technology education in Nigeria. The winners were announced after a two-day adjudication process.

The Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards are designed to identify and create awareness on satellite technology and its applications within the society. And that the award is meant to inspire innovative thinking among secondary school students in Africa to create awareness on how science and technology can be applied to everyday life and to showcase the many ways that satellites already impact on the development of the African continent.

In his words:

“MultiChoice, by this award, is encouraging the young ones to challenge themselves and come up with ideas and innovation that will eventually propel our country to desired greatness.”

Dr. Aderonke Bello, CEO Innovative Technology Literacy Services Limited (ITLSL) and lead judge for the 2017 DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, stated that there were many quality entries, but the ones that made it to the top were those that satisfied all the specified criteria, which were understanding and demonstration of satellite technology and its application to everyday life, coherence in the manner of presentation and flow.

The annual awards, which received a total of 213 entries, including 187 essays and 26 posters this year, takes the form of a competition open to students between the ages of 14-19 years old.

The award was established in 2011 by MultiChoice Africa in collaboration with Eutelsat, leading satellite operator for broadcasting, broadband, and data services.

Truckit, an indigenous company that provides a technology platform that facilitates cost effective and secured transportation of goods and cargos with real time monitoring for individuals and companies, has been recognised for its innovative UTruckit application at the World Summit Awards (WSA), which held in Vienna, Austria.

Truckit was awarded in the Smart Settlements & Urbanization category of the World Summit Awards. Truckit launched its UTruckit application in July 2017 and stands out on the strength of its innovation within the digital space.

The World Summit Awards (WSA) was initiated in 2003 in the framework of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS). UTruckit was selected by the WSA Grand Jury as one of the 40 WSA Winners in 2017.

The World Summit Awards is a highly diverse and democratic award system that selects and promotes the world’s best in digital content and innovative applications with impact on the society

According to Mr. Tom Roberts, Nigerian, CEO and founder of Truckit Trucks Solutions Limited:

“We feel very proud of this award as it is a great honor that the international community recognized the exceptional value in the UTruckit APP. Almost 400 submissions from 180 UN member states participated in this year’s WSA contest.

The competition was tough and the selection process was highly competitive and we are so glad we scaled through.”

We are pioneer of the 1st truck booking solution in Nigeria and Africa and we are proud to have achieved this. The innovation is managed by experienced professionals with a track record of delivering logistics solutions. It has been good doing such business in Nigeria.”

Explaining the award initiative, Chairman, Programos Software Group and Founder, Programos Foundation,​ Nigeria’s​ ​coordinating​ ​civil​ ​society​ ​organisation​ ​for​ ​the​ ​United​ ​Nations-based​ ​World​ ​Summit​ ​Awards​, Mr. Amos Emmanuel, noted that 40 winners from 23 countries were selected from over 400 nominations from 180 countries.

He added that the WSA presented a global spectre of change making projects ranging from big data for tourism to organ 3D printing, from a job-platform focusing on female tech talent to empowering smallholder farms.

According to Mr. Amos Emmanuel:

“No matter what the technology is,  it’s​ the​ unique​ content​ that​ makes​ this​ top​ 40​ exceptional.”

Engineer Michael Friday, has come up with an invention called Mobile Intercom aimed at relieving subscribers of telecommunications services of the need to buy recharge cards.

According to Michael Friday on Mobile Intercom:

“The source of Internet we depend on is in foreign hands. Even our telecommunications companies depend on them. If you want to manufacture a mobile phone, until you buy the operating system chips and insert it on your system, it can never access any of these technologies.

WIFI and Bluetooth are minute ICs embedded in the PCV that makes them work.

Why don’t we have such a thing here? It is because there is no backing. Late last year, I came up with an application. I was at a function and the moment a bigwig came in, all mobile phones stopped working. And I said to myself, ‘If there is any security issue here, now, everybody is doomed.’

So, I coded an application that I can use to make calls, send SMS, do video calls and all of that without mobile spectrum, without Internet or network. We have completed it and it is working. Our chip sets can transmit up to 5000 metres, that is about 5 kilometres.”

Friday is a global award winner for developing the smallest storage micro chips in 2009, at a science competition in China. He emerged the overall best scientist in 2009.

He is also a two-time award winner of the most outstanding youth in Nigeria in 2009 and 2011.

Winners have emerged in the National Science, Technology and Innovation Expo 2018, which held from March 5-9, 2018, with the theme “Fast-tracking sustainable development of Nigeria through science and technology”.

Continue reading Winners Of National Science, Technology And Innovation Expo 2018 [Abuja]

Dr. Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has emerged winner of the 2017 Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) Gold Medal Prize.

The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) instituted a Gold Medal Prize in 2016, after 40 years of its existence, to be awarded to deserving Nigerian scientists who have made significant achievements in science of national relevance and global resonance. The award is to be made annually, alternating between the life sciences and physical sciences.

Announcing the winner at a media briefing in Lagos, Chairman of the Nigerian Academy of Science Prize Committee, Professor Gabriel Ogunmola, a past President of the NAS stated that Dr. Unuabonah emerged the pioneer winner of the prestigious prize after a due process of evaluation by a five-member physical science jury chaired by Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, FAS, a past NAS President.

Professor Ogunmola said in picking Dr. Unuabonah for the prize, his numerous contributions in physical sciences were subjected to critical scrutiny, stating that his work that fetched him the award focused on the development of alternatives for the replacement of expensive zeolites activated carbon and membranes currently being used in the treatment of water and wastewater.

According to Professor Ogunmola, the research work of Dr. Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge of modified hybrid kaolinite clay as absorbent of metal ion pollutants as is evident from his publication and patents, adding that “this innovation has the potential to be further developed into point-of-use system for ready treatment of water in rural communities”.

In his remarks, the NAS current President Professor Mosto Onuoha decried the neglect of science studies in Nigeria, while calling on the federal and state governments to set up an endowment fund for the support of scientific research in ensuring that Nigeria joined developed nations in scientific advancement.

Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance and Change in their recent study and evaluation rated the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) as the best agency in Nigeria.

NASENI emerged with the honor under the leadership of Professor (Engr.) Mohammed Sani Haruna as the best performing agency both in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and in the country.

Continue reading NASENI Wins Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance and Change 2018 Best Agency In Nigeria