Silas Adekunle Builds World’s First Gaming Robots

Silas Adekunle, the founder and CEO of Reach Robotics, has developed the world’s first gaming robots called MekaMonsters, a multi-functional connected battle bots with augmented reality capabilities.

Adekunle was born and grew up in Nigeria before moving to the UK with his family when he was 11. He graduated from the University of the West of England, Bristol, with a first class degree in Robotics. He stated that he got the idea to build the robots while studying there, teaching maths and science in local schools on the university’s partnership scheme.

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Olusegun Arowolo Invents Cocoa Pod Breaking Machine

Olusegun Arowolo, has invented a cocoa pod breaking machine to boost the production of the commodity as well as encourage more Nigerians to take into cocoa farming.

Mr. Olusegun Arowolo said the idea of inventing the machine was conceptualised to complete the mechanisation of cocoa plantation so as to take cocoa farming to large scale industrial dimension.

According to Mr. Arowolo:

“This machine was invented in order to encourage people, both young and old, especially school leavers to have interest and fun in going into cultivation of cocoa thereby reducing unemployment rate among the populace. The machine is to ease the hardship being encountered by farmers on cocoa plantation and boost production as well as increase internally generated revenue of the state.

The cocoa pod breaking machine was invented by me and it is the first of its kind worldwide and can break 20,000 to 30,000 pods per hour. Also, it is important to state that the cocoa season is around the corner and so the machine will complement the already available spraying and moving machine in the market.”

Arowolo in Abuja stated that his aim of developing the machine was to also encourage all segments of the populace to partake in cocoa farming, as this would reduce unemployment, boost the economy.

Emmanuel Owobu & Misan Rewane granted $100,000 each by Expo Dubai 2020

Dr. Emmanuel Owobu co-founder of OMOMI and Misan Rewane, CEO of WAVE are among the 16 innovators granted $100,000 each by Expo Dubai 2020 live to participate in the 2020 event.

The grant of $100,000 each is to aid the innovators (Dr. Emmanuel Owobu and Misan Rewane) to expand their project and impact the lives of rural dwellers.

The organisers said:

“A Nigerian doctor who co-launched a mobile app and website to help save children’s lives after watching a baby unnecessarily die in an emergency room has won an Expo Live grant from organisers of the next World Expo, being held in Dubai in 2020.

The OMOMI application helps expectant mothers and parents of under-five-year-olds monitor the wellbeing of their children from home, which can be life-saving for families living in remote areas or who cannot afford to attend a medical facility.”

Since it was launched in Benin City in 2015, more than 30,000 parents have used the platform. The funding from the Expo Live programme will help it reach even more families.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s Expo Live programme has an allocation of $100 million to back projects that offer creative solutions to pressing challenges that impact people’s lives, or help preserve the world – or both. Organisers are looking for projects that would not reach their full potential without its support. The programme will grant up to $100,000 per initiative for its Innovation Impact Grant Programme – to be made available incrementally depending on progress and results.

Emmanuel Owobu Osayi, a doctor and co-founder of OMOMI, said:

“OMOMI, which means ‘my child’, was inspired by painful memories. While I was a medical doctor, I had a very painful experience. A young mother came into the emergency room crying and holding a baby. Looking at the baby, I knew he was severely dehydrated, and looking into his history, I saw he had been suffering from diarrhoea for some time, so I asked the mother why she took so long to bring him into the hospital. She said she thought she could wait until the morning. We tried to resuscitate the baby and give him fluids, but we lost him. The mother, crying, picked up her phone and called her family members. I asked her why she hadn’t used her phone to get information or help online, and she said she didn’t know how; she didn’t have a platform to help her do that. A few months later a friend called and told me about a very similar situation. We talked and decided we needed to find a solution.”

OMOMI was developed by MOBicure Integrated Solutions. Its information and interactive features are based on the Childhood Survival Strategies set by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF. Parents can track their child’s immunisation status, monitor their growth, manage diarrhoea with an interactive do-it-yourself platform, and communicate with doctors and other parents. The app also provides a fun educational quiz that gives parents basic health information, including nutrition advice, as well as other useful tools such as an ovulation calculator, GPS hospital locator and information about breastfeeding.

Emmanuel Owobu Osayi said:

“The Expo Live grant will help us further build on the OMOMI platform, providing more features and health information, as well as bring it to the attention of more parents in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

World Expos, which trace their origins back to the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, have always celebrated the latest in innovation and technology. The Expo Live programme was launched in January 2017, following a pilot phase last year. It aims to stimulate innovation that has a social benefit, by supporting winning projects with funding, business guidance and promotion. Successful applicants will also have the chance to showcase their work to many millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai.

To date, the programme has attracted more than 1,100 applicants from 107 countries around the world. Following a rigorous evaluation process, which included live presentations in Dubai in August, 16 grantees from 14 countries have joined Expo Live’s community of Global Innovators. With these new members from the second cycle, the community now comprises 45 Expo Live Global Innovators from 30 countries. The second Nigerian is Lagos-based startup West Africa Vocational Training (WAVE), which prepares young people in Nigeria for employment opportunities in the expanding hospitality and retail sectors.

According to the organisers, in major West African economies, youth unemployment ranges from 40 to 85 percent. Education in the region often does not provide young people with the skills needed to participate and compete in the job marketplace. WAVE works with unemployed youth to train them with the skills that they require to get their first job to start a career and build a brighter future.

Since its launch in 2014, WAVE has trained 1,200 unemployed young people and connected 60 percent of them directly to entry level work. The average income of a young person in West Africa is just USD 2 a day. Those who go through the WAVE programme earn more than twice that – USD 4-6 a day in their first jobs. For those taking part, WAVE is their first step to getting into the formal economy and giving them access to building a brighter future.

Misan Rewane, CEO of WAVE, said:

“This news comes as a big vote of confidence in our vision, and a big sign of Expo 2020 Dubai’s commitment to supporting young people and creating a meaningful social legacy. Africa’s youth are an untapped resource.

Through our home-grown approach education, training, and skills provision we hope to help thousands of young Africans into work – creating a demographic dividend for our region. The Expo Live grant will help us replicate our model by opening new academies. We will use this funding to begin working formally with the school system, with educators, with other training providers in the social impact space, with employers who are looking to grow their talent.

By 2019, we aim to train 25,000 young people a year, helping them into stable jobs that give them a boost in income of up to 400 percent. This grant helps to make this possible.”

The list of the latest Expo Dubai 2020 live Programme recipients are:

Afghan Institute of Learning (Afghanistan)

The institute is using mobile phones in the classroom to educate and empower illiterate women. The course teaches women and older girls how to read and write with the help of mobile phones rather than pen and paper, as well as education on topics such as health and hygiene, values and human rights. Expo Live’s grant will help the institute hold more literacy classes in rural and urban areas.

Atollo (Canada)

The firm produces Talking Stickers, an initiative that has taken a generations-old activity and turned it into a ‘smart’ early language development tool for children in locations where it is difficult to access education. The project currently runs in India, however Atollo will use the Expo Live grant to test and develop business and distribution models further, before expanding to other countries – including Lebanon, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Chile.

The Plastic Bank (Canada)

The Plastic Bank has established convenience stores in Haiti that accept plastic waste as currency, turning the product into what it calls Social Plastic. The plastic is then sorted, recycled and sold to companies to use in their manufacturing instead of new plastics. The Expo Live grant will help promote the concept in other parts of the world.

Be My Eyes (Denmark)

This start-up uses mobile technology to make the world more accessible for the blind and visually impaired. The Be My Eyes app connects a blind person with a sighted volunteer, who describes what they see through live streamed video. Through the Expo Live grant, Be My Eyes plans to increase the number of users and volunteers, and expand the complexity and diversity of features.

GoRaymi (Ecuador)

GoRaymi is a digital platform that connects tourists with off-the-beaten-track experiences in Ecuador, helping less prominent, regional destinations to benefit from the country’s tourism industry. Expo Live’s grant will help GoRaymi to improve technical aspects of the platform, as well as create enticing content about the destinations to attract a larger user base.

Paptic (Finland)

Finnish start-up Paptic Ltd impressed the Expo Live team with its innovative, wood-based alternative – PAPTIC – to plastic packaging and bags, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste that reaches the oceans. The funding will allow the firm to develop new applications for PAPTIC beyond its use in carrier bags, and it will also help it take the product to other markets.

CoolCrop (India)

CoolCrop has developed a prototype low-cost cold room for the storage of perishables, powered by solar energy that can be easily deployed to small-hold farmer cooperatives. It allows farmers to store produce for up to six months, depending on the item, allowing them to sell their goods at the best price and to build a more sustainable livelihood. The grant will help CoolCrop develop more cold rooms and make it available in more locations across India.

Kabadiwalla Connect (India)

The mission of Kabadiwalla Connect is to divert urban India’s waste away from landfill, helping to cut CO2 emissions as well as increase income opportunities for small scrap dealers (kabadiwallas). It uses technology to link key individuals that make up the informal waste ecosystem in Chennai, such as small waste pickers, small aggregators and material recovery facilities. The Expo Live grant will help fund the schemes and support more kabadiwallas.

Kitenergy Srl (Italy)

The firm is using kites to capture ‘high altitude wind’ to provide low-cost power in remote areas that have limited or no access to electricity. Expo Live’s grant will allow Kitenergy to conduct field tests on a remote island in Cape Verde, giving 200 residents access to electricity and powering a desalination plant.

 

CheeksUp (Latvia)

The CheeksUp face motion game combines 3D recognition with real-time motion tracking to motivate patients to learn to use their tongue and lips correctly for speech, as well as gamification to ensure the programme is enjoyable. It can be used by speech therapists, myofunctional therapists and physiotherapists. The funding will allow CheeksUp to help more children fast-track their therapy, as well as develop and implement new game elements, animations and graphics.

Liter of Light (Philippines)

My Shelter Foundation Inc has developed the ‘Liter of Light’ – an efficient and cost-effective solar lamp that uses immediately available materials, including plastic bottles and inexpensive, basic electrical components, to produce a reliable source of light. Expo Live’s support means that 20 permanent training centres can be built in the Philippines to boost production of the lamps.

CaribePay (St Kitts and Nevis)

This fintech start-up provides a 100 percent cashless payment service that allows transactions anywhere, anytime, without electrical power or internet access. It utilises cashcards, payment terminals and apps and is designed so that neither the seller nor the buyer needs a bank account. Funding from Expo Live will allow CaribePay to expand into other Caribbean countries, and later into Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

NOW Money (UAE)

NOW Money provides a mobile app for low income workers who struggle to access banking services. The app allows them to manage their finances as well as send remittances home with the touch of a button. Thanks to a grant from Expo Live, NOW Money will be able to expand its scheme to help low-income workers in other Gulf countries.

Ideabatic (UK)

The firm has developed a low-cost, battery-powered carrier that provides constant, cool storage for vaccines to prevent them from being damaged due to heat exposure in transit. Expo Live’s grant will help Ideabatic to fine tune prototypes and test them in the field.

KinTrans Inc (U.S.A)

KinTrans Inc is using technology to translate sign language accents between deaf and hearing people in real-time to help them better communicate. The funding will allow KinTrans to regionalise American sign language in the U.S. and the UAE, and Arabic sign language in the UAE by collecting user data.

Five Scientists Win 2017 NLNG’s $100,000 Science Prize

Five scientists have emerged as joint winners of the 2017 Nigeria $100,000 Prize for Science.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Science Prize, Prof. Akpoveta Susu, said that the winners, whose research works were selected from 27 entries were recognised for their innovative work in the field of malaria.

Ikeoluwapo Ajayi, Ayodele Jegede and Bidemi Yusuf were recognised as joint winners for their research work titled, Improving Home and Community Management of Malaria: Providing the Evidence Base.

Olugbenga Mokuola won for his work titled, ‘Multifaceted Efforts at Malaria Control in Research: Management of Malaria of Various Grades’.

Chukwuma Agubata emerged as a winner for his work titled, ‘Novel Lipid Microparticles for Effective Delivery of Artemether Antimalarial Drug using a Locally-Sourced Irvingia Fat from Nuts of Irvingia Gabonensis var Excelsa (Ogbono)’.

According to Prof. Akpoveta Susu:

“We acknowledge the difficulties associated with scientific research in developing countries including Nigeria, where infrastructure deficit could deal a debilitating challenge.

Our hope is that the award of this prize would in its own little way provide a spark that would reinvigorate the passion of our budding scientists in finding solutions to our everyday issues.

We congratulate the winners for a job well done and for achieving this feat in the midst of an impressive array of entries. This is indeed a call to do more so that the identified potentials could be realised.”

Prof. Akpoveta Susu further stated that while malaria was the focus of this year’s edition, innovations in the power sector has been adopted as the theme of the 2018 science prize.

The NLNG General Manager, External Relations, Kudo Eresia-Eke, who commended the judge’s assessment, said the winning entries had addressed salient issues and challenges facing malaria treatment and control in Nigeria.

Mr. Kudo Eresia-Eke said:

“This is a great milestone for the people of Nigeria and Africa. Firstly, we finally have a winner for the Science Prize and secondly, we have some commendable research works that have contributed significantly to the body of knowledge on the disease and even provide some interesting opportunities for local approach to defeating malaria.

The hard work must not stop. The winners will need support to translate this to real benefits for Nigerians. We are calling on the government and corporate Nigeria to support this initiative and bring it to life.”

Team Nicademia Wins 2017 USPF Changemaker Challenge

Team Nicademia has won the 2017 Changemaker Challenge, organised by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). As overall winner, Team Nicademia receives a cash prize of 1 million Naira with an acceptance into incubation programme superintended in the 2017 Changemaker Challenge.

Nicademia is an online distribution platform for African-inspired animations and cartoons that seek to promote African culture, traditions and values to the world.

The USPF Changemaker Challenge 2017, an arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is a nationwide competition open to innovators, software developers, User Experience (UX) designers, students and other ICT enthusiasts from all over Nigeria.

The Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta Represented by Head of Strategy and Corporate Performance Monitoring, USPF, Mr. Kelechi Nwankwo said the aims and objectives of the Challenge were to empower the Nigerian youths by challenging their tenacity to create technology-driven solutions for the needs of their Communities and the nation at large adding that the development of ICT was the reason for the creation of USPF.

He, however, assured that NCC would continue to use USPF as a platform in the promotion and application of innovation processes in ICT, to help empower the youth saying that one of the commission’s eight-point agenda is the promotion of ICT innovations and investment opportunities.

In his words:

“We believe that there is no better way to propagate this than to proactively involve the new generation of tech-innovators and entrepreneurs. Given the right platform and support, they can analyse and address everyday problems and find solutions to them. The innovation is already in them. This is in sync with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) policy objectives on telecommunications/ICT; to encourage rapid ICT penetration among all socioeconomic levels and increase broadband penetration.

“The ERGP policy is to promote and encourage local production of ICT hard and software, to reduce import dependence and generate foreign exchange by exporting to the regional and continental markets. Indeed, the ERGP acknowledges that ICT and digital technology have the potential to ramp up, transform labour productivity and create new economic sectors. It is our belief that the solutions and services that emerge from this changemaker challenge 2017 will demonstrate that fact.”

The Secretary of USPF, Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu, said 226 applications from the six geo-political zones of the country were received for the contest. He said innovation was at the centre of the current ICT and knowledge revolution and opportunities. According to him, USPF organises the competition with the conviction that the critical mass of the emerging information society resides in innovation and software know-how.

In his words:

“The USPF organised this special challenge to spur national technology innovation development and deliver appropriate solutions-dependable instrument, tools and meaningful responses to global challenges presented by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The maiden edition took place in 2015 and we are pleased to let you know that the three winning solutions are still in the market and expanding.”

Team Jiggle came second while Team Kano Magenta made third position. Team Jiggle and Team Kano Magenta received 750,000 and 500,000 respectively and both will also undergo incubation programme.

AMINT Aerial Industries Shortlisted for 2017 Airbus BizLab

AMINT Aerial Industries, has been shortlisted for the Airbus Bizlab global aerospace accelerator program in Hamburg, Germany.

Airbus BizLab is a global platform where start-ups selected from around the world work together to tackle specific humanitarian challenges. The program includes funding to cover expenses and the option of investment into the startup.

The six months program provides start-ups access to Airbus business and technical coaches, experts and mentors. Each program also includes a demo day with Airbus decision makers, venture capitalists, and industry partners.

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Nigeria Triumphs at ITU Telecom Awards 2017

Nigeria has won the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World Government Award for being the government with the most innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) included in its national pavilion at the ITU Telecom Awards 2017.

Nigerian fintech startup, Medsaf also won the Greatest Social Impact award of the Global SMEs Awards at the ITU Telecom Awards 2017 held in Busan, South Korea.

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