These Nigerian inventors and their inventions have contributed to the betterment of our country today. Over the years we have realized that Nigeria is blessed with the best individuals across the world with amazing innovations, inventions and creative ideas to their credit.
The Nigerian inventors in this article surpassed the limitations around them and the societal challenges that surround their development and stare them in the face by bringing their brilliance into play. In this article, we will be identifying Nigerian inventors and what they invented.
In no particular order;
1. Seyi Oyesola:
He was born Babaseyi Oyesola but popularly called Dr Seyi Oyesola, he is a Doctor and Co-inventor of the CompactOR or the “Hospital in a Box”, a solar-powered life-saving operating room which can be transported to remote areas of Africa and set up within minutes.
Seyi is a Nigerian-trained doctor and inventor. He received his basic science and medical education at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, with specialist training in Anaesthesia and Critical Care in the United Kingdom and the United States. In order to help bring surgical care to every region of the continent, Seyi co-developed CompactOR, or the “Hospital in a Box”: a portable medical system that contains anaesthetic and surgical equipment. One major advantage of this invention is that the operating suite is light enough to be dropped into inaccessible zones by helicopter and it can be powered by solar panels.
2. Ndubuisi Ekekwe:
He is one of the persons involved in the development of microchips used in minimally invasive surgical robots.
Ndubuisi born in 1975 and hails from OVIM, Abia state is a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Ndubuisi who holds two doctoral and four master’s degrees, including an MTech from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ms from Tuskegee University, USA and an MBA from the University of Calabar. He also obtained two Doctorates in Management from St. Clements University and Electrical & Computer Engineering where he specialised in Microelectronics & Medical Robotics Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, USA is the founder of First Atlantic Semiconductors & Microelectronics Ltd. He holds a U.S. Patent on a microchip used in minimally invasive surgical robots and was part of the team that created the XL sensor inside the iPhone and iPad.
3. Saheed Adepoju:
He is the inventor of the INYE-1 & 2, tablet computers designed for the African market.
Saheed is the Co-founder of Encipher Limited, a Nigerian-based technology company that introduced the first android-powered tablet into Nigeria. The INYE-1, (which means First in the Igala language) was unveiled in April 2010 as a 7-inch resistive screen tablet. It runs android 2.1 and allows users to connect to the internet using its in-built WIFI card and to use an external 3G modem from GSM networks. It offers about 3 hours of battery life and allows HDMI output to HDMI-capable devices.
INYE-2, which was unveiled in May 2011, is an 8-inch capacitive screen tablet. It runs Android 2.2 and allows users to connect to the internet using its inbuilt Wi-Fi card as well as its inbuilt SIM. It offers about 8 hours of battery life and allows users to connect to other USB devices.
4. Cyprian Emeka Uzoh:
Cyprian Emeka Ozoh hails from Ojoto, a small community in Idemili South of Anambra State.
He holds more than 126 United States-issued patents and over 160 patents worldwide in semiconductor technology including U.S. Patent No. 6709562, “method of making electroplated interconnection structures on integrated circuit chips”, which earned him the inventor of the year award in 2006 from the New York Intellectual Property Association.
5. Kunle Olutokun:
Kunle Olutokun is a British-born Nigerian in London, England. He graduated from the University of Michigan.
He is well known for leading the Stanford Hydra research project which developed one of the first chip multiprocessors with support for thread-level speculation (TLS).
Kunle is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University. He received his PhD in Computer Engineering from The University of Michigan. He is the founder of Afara Web systems (later acquired by Sun Microsystems), a company that builds servers surrounding a custom high-throughput CPU architecture and develops IP traffic management systems for high-throughput, low-power server systems with chip multiprocessor technology.
6. Brino Gilbert:
Brino Gilbert is the inventor of the Counter Collision Gadget (CCG), a device that has the capacity to prevent accidents on the road, air, sea and rail. The invention earned him many awards including a bronze medal in the Aerospace/Aeronautics category at the May 2003 edition of the Invention and New Product Exposition (INPEX) in the United States. He also received a silver medal in the manufacturing category and a trophy for being the best invention from Africa in the continental category
Gilbert is a Nigerian physicist from Edo State. He spent 10 years seeking government attention for his research and approached several groups and individuals for sponsorship. His vision is to make CCG exportable to many countries of the world.
7. Shehu Saleh Balami:
This Nigerian inventor designed a solid-fuel rocket.
Since 2000, Shehu Balami, a Nigerian Engineer has been involved in designing rockets. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology (FUT Minna), Niger State. He has produced two solid-fuel rockets which were launched along the new Kaduna Millennium City Road in Kaduna State. In 2008, with the support of his friends and family members, he was able to build his first rocket which he later modified in 2011. The solid-fuel rocket was produced under the auspices of the Movement for the Propagation of Science and Technology in Nigeria.
8. Sebastian Chinonye Omeh:
Sebastian’s research into the use of wind-propelled turbines to generate electricity, for which he is best known, earned him a seat of honour amongst the Nigerian inventors.
Sebastian is the Managing Director of Hybrid Micro Machine Products Limited. He is from Ogrute town in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Challenged by the energy crisis in Nigeria, and the need to develop indigenous technology he conducted research into the use of wind-propelled turbines to generate electricity, thereby pioneering wind energy technology in Nigeria.
9. Jelani Aliyu:
Just like the other Nigerian inventors, Jelani is known for his brilliant work. He designs for General Motors’ leading auto brand, Chevrolet Volt.
Jelani was born in Kaduna State, Nigeria in 1966. He originates from Sokoto State, Nigeria and earned an associate degree in Architecture from Birnin Kebbi Polytechnic in 1988. Upon graduation from the Polytechnic, Jelani worked at the Ministry of Works, Sokoto before pursuing additional education in the United States. He graduated in 1994 with a degree in Automobile Design from the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan and was hired by General Motors.
10. Yemi Adesokan:
Yemi was selected by expert judges of the Technology Review of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States of America for his discovery work on drug-resistant infections. He was honoured by MIT in 2011 because of his innovative work.
Yemi is a Nigerian-born who was raised in Okupe, Maryland, Lagos and a United States-based founder of Pathogenica Inc. Medical experts are of the view that his innovation may bring an end to the problem of drug resistance in the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. His discovery work was carried out by a biotechnology start-up that he founded with Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School DNA technology.
