A cleaner, renewable and cheaper cooker known as Solar Element Stove designed by the Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH), has won the maiden Nigerian Content Science and Technology Innovation challenge (STIC) organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The effort is aimed at encouraging research innovations among undergraduate in the Nigerian universities.
The CRUTECH team represented by Victoria Effiong and Paul Agbor, designed the solar element store with the intention of reducing carbon emission from cooking which was picked ahead of over 170 entries from other public and private institutions across Nigeria.
The school team whichwas listed among the six finalists was able to successfully defend the product before the accessory during the final exhibition at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, where they won first prize and took home the star prize of N10 million.
Also, University of Jos, which produced a hydroponic system of growing food indoors without the soil clinched second position and won the second prize of N4 million while the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, which produced a noiseless, fuel-less electric generator to provide alternate power source, won the third prize and took home the cash prize of N1.5 million.
Speaking during the grand finale of the competition, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote, said the board’s aim is to develop the country’s capacities and capabilities to catalyse the attachment of the Nigerian content targets set in the NOGIC Acts, 2010.
He commended their partner, Enactus Nigeria, for the brilliant show of investing in students to produce enterpreneurs, values-driven and social innovators across 1,730 campuses in 36 countries all over the world.
He said that the Nigerian Content Science Technology and Innovation Challenge (STIC), was initiated to fill the gap in the Nigeria research and development, innovation, invention, and local manufacturing.
He said: “The STIC is a strategic enterprise-development programme designed to challenge the undergraduates of all accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions to stretch their ingenuity.
“After the official launch of the STIC on November 19, 2020, a total of 1,022 undergraduates from the 129 accredited and recognised Nigerian tertiary institutions created teams of two students each and have submitted 511 home-grown solutions for screening/evaluation.
“73 reputable and experienced judges were engaged for the screening/evaluation of the solutions.
“A total of five teams were selected to represent the Northern Geo-Political Zone, Western Zone, and South-Eastern Zone respectively for the regional competition,” he said.
In his part, the Country Director, Enactus Nigeria, Mr Michael Ajayi, said Nigeria has the largest domestic market in Africa, a wide range of natural resources, and a diversely skilled labor pool.
According to him, in spite of those economic indices, unemployment is growing at a dangerous alarming rate in Nigeria as it stands at 33 per cent and report shows that it is second highest on the global list.
He said: “Enactus Nigeria however believes that entrepreneurial development (inclusive of SMEs) is a tool that will drive innovation and encourage entrepreneurs to create new enterprises.”
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