In a statement released by the Royal Academy of Engineering, four Nigerian innovators have been shortlisted for the Africa Prize for Engineering solutions to address the continent’s challenges.

A shortlist of 15 African entrepreneurs from Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe were selected to compete for the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.

According to the statement, shortlisted innovations address engineering solutions crucial to UN Sustainable Development Goals, including water, healthcare, agriculture, education, food security, waste and energy challenges.

The 2023 shortlist also featured several water innovations, energy and environmental solutions and pioneered solutions in health, safety and education.

The four finalists selected will pitch their innovations and business plans to Africa Prize judges at an event in Accra, Ghana on 6th July, 2023.

The winner will be awarded a money prize of £25000, and three runners up will receive £10,000 each. Also a One-to-Watch award of £5,000 will be given to the promising innovator from the shortlist. 

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation was launched in 2014, awarded annually by the Royal Academy of Engineering to determined African innovators creating local and scalable solutions to pan-African and international challenges.

Shortlisted innovators will also benefit from a unique package to support which includes business incubation, mentoring, fundraising, communication and an access to the Academy’s global network of high-profile and experienced engineers in the UK and Africa.

Here are the shortlisted innovators and entrepreneurs:

• Affordable AMD Solution, Boitumelo Nkatlo, South Africa – A technology to treat acid mine drainage (AMD) using industrial waste to recycle contaminated water for human consumption.

• Aquaset, Obed Zar, Ghana – A smart water management system that monitors water levels in boreholes and water tanks, regulating the rate at which water is pumped and preventing pump breakdowns and water waste.

• Arobot, Cristovão Cacombe, Angola – A robotics learning tool for children that must be assembled and programmed to perform specific tasks.

• Digital Aquaponics, Flavien Kouatcha Simo, Cameroon – A portable fish farm that uses fish waste as a fertiliser to produce organic vegetables, enabling small-scale farmers to increase production.

• Electric Mobility, Chukwuemeka Eze, Nigeria – An e-mobility service that converts gas-powered three-wheel motorbikes to run on batteries, saving up to 60% on running costs.

• FlexiGyn, Edmund Wessels, South Africa – A portable device enabling gynaecologists to diagnose and treat uterine health issues without anaesthetic.

• MEDBOX, Emmanuel Ofori Devi, Ghana – A healthcare monitoring system that records a patient’s vital signs and transmits them to doctors who then provide remote medical advice.

• Multi-Purpose Earth Brick Machine, Fikru Gebre Dikumbab, Ethiopia – A manually-operated portable machine to make interlocking compressed earth bricks using 90%-95% soil and 5%-10% cement.

• ProbiGal, Dr Deon Neveling, South Africa – A host-specific multi-strain probiotic designed to promote gut health and prevent bacterial infections in chickens, reducing the need for antibiotics.

• Smokeless Briqs, Eunice Adewale, Nigeria – An eco-friendly briquette and stove to reduce respiratory disease and deaths caused by cooking on wood fires.

• Smart Green Stove, Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, Sierra Leone – An efficient non-electric cooking device designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and health risks, slashing energy use by 70%.

• Smart Water Tech, Allen Chafa, Zimbabwe – A real time water quality monitoring and control system to address water borne diseases.

• ThinkBikes CoolMAX, Tolulope Olukokun, Nigeria – An electric cargo bike with a battery powered fridge to help Nigeria’s smallholder farmers get fresh food crops to market.

• WAGA Power Pack, Gibson Kawago, Tanzania – A power pack made with recycled laptop batteries to provide reliable and affordable power for electric bikes, power banks, solar lights, businesses and homes.

• Waste-to-Wealth Enhancer, Cletus Ekpoh, Nigeria – A four-part recycling system to help informal waste collectors.

• YUNGA, Anatoli Kirigwajjo, Uganda – A local digital network connected through a physical device utilising the Internet of Things to provide security at a low cost in under-resourced areas.