Category: Science & Technology

Ijodo

Nigerian engineer Timothy Addigi Terfa designs and builds a tractor he named ‘Ijodo’, which is 100% Nigerian, with a team of skilled individuals.

He has called the tractor Ijodo, meaning labour in the Tiv language.

The tractor is designed with different attachments to cover a variety of farm jobs.

For many, agriculture is still manual in Nigeria because of the high cost of farm machinery.

Some Ijodo tractors have been sold, but the engineer is looking for more investment.

Mr Terfa wants to inspire others:

“My greatest desire is that someone out there will be encouraged and motivated to do something with the ideas they have to make Nigeria better.”

Ayokunle Adeniran Invents Iron Rhino

Ayokunle Adeniran, a US-based Nigerian mechanical engineer, invented an iron called Iron Rhino that works without electricity or coal.

The Iron Rhino as it is formally called is a gas-powered iron which does not need electricity to work. It makes use of little gas canisters.
Ayokunle Adeniran, a graduate of Covenant University said it was disappointment that inspired him to invent the iron.

He said:

“My inspiration came from disappointment. One day, I needed to meet up with my dad at the airport, and the clothing I wanted to wear was rumpled, I was unhappy and had to wear something else. This disappointment brought about the spark of creativity in my head so I decided to proceed with the idea of having an alternative source of powering clothes iron.

The Iron Rhino is a product I designed in response to the inability of people to iron their clothes due to electrical power outages. It is a butane gas powered pressing iron, meaning it does not require electricity to function. It looks very similar to and functions like existing electric irons. The butane comes in canisters that retail for about 120 Naira and can last for 1 week usage at 20 minutes daily ironing.”

Though gas is not a renewable source of energy, it is healthier and cleaner than oil or burning coal. When gas is burned, it only releases carbon dioxide and water vapor (which are the exact same gases that we breathe out when we exhale).

The Iron Rhino is very reliable as it functions at most habitable environmental conditions. It is also said to be user friendly.

This makes it easy for Nigerians to press their clothes without having to wait for NEPA, PHCN or DISCO.