The tragi-comic scene could have been a clip from a new Nollywood blockbuster movie. But it was as real as looking straight at the wavy lines on your sweaty palms. The event took place recently at the Senate chamber. Professor Hussain Ibrahim, the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), listed kilishi production as an outstanding achievement for the agency in 33 years! That was while briefing the Senate committee on science and technology.
Shell-shocked, Senator Ekwunife, the Committee Chairman asked him: “Your core mandate is to develop local materials. Can you tell us the local raw materials you have developed in the areas of health, brewery, construction, science, and technology, or agriculture? Just give us the synopsis of what you have developed or generated for local industries. Tell us about your breakthrough.”
But the professor insisted that kilishi, a locally spiced roasted meat, made popular in the north and savoured by travelers up North, was indeed a scientific feat. The gale of laughter, mixed mashed with outrage that greeted his response tells us part of the parlous picture of the utter neglect of several scientific inventions, either left to rot away at the pilot stage in our research institutes, or never mentioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
As a concerned citizen one has made similar suggestions to the powers-that- be back in 2002, 2003 and 2004.Related essays in this regard included: “The challenge of local inventions, 1 and 2,” (Daily Times of Oct. 18 and Nov.1, 2002); “Using our best brains I and 2,” ( Daily Times, July 18 and August 1, 2003) and “Turning brain drain to economic gain” (Daily Times, July 23, 2004). One of the recent ones was: “Making the Best Use of Our Best Brains” while the other came as “Maximizing the Potentials of our Young Inventors”. The aim, as usual was to draw the attention of our policy makers to it and do the needful. But who has listened to me? Unfortunately, it was taken with a pinch of salt.
In retrospect, let me repeat the first two paragraphs of “Making the Best Use of our Best Brans” thus: “This piece goes out as a passionate appeal to the residency to consider constituting a Presidential Committee on Impact Creativity. The aim is to bring together the creative works of our inventors, innovators, top scientists/technologists, thinkers, artists and geniuses-both at home and in the Diaspora- to maximally benefit the technological and economic landscape of the country.
“The time has come for sustainable synergy between the Ministries of Science and Technology, Labour and Productivity with the assistance of External Affairs to identify, highlight and articulate pilot projects of Nigerian inventors for mass production for the benefit of Nigerians
“Pragmatic partnerships with the private sector should be encouraged. Such exists in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China and even Brazil where there are deliberate polices for massive funding of researches and their implementation.” That was some three years ago.
Perhaps, Prof. Ibrahim needs to be reminded that only recently, a young Nigerian, Emeka Nelson invented a machine that transforms waste into petrol, kerosene, diesel, tiles and roofing sheets.
He shouldalso be informed that another young Nigerian engineering student, Ekomobong Finbarr has built a solar powered keke tricycle. Ekomobong, an undergraduate of Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, built the tricycle for his final year project. That was precisely back in 2016.
Not left out is the inspiring tale of Muhammad Ibrahim Baba, who last year beat 600 international participants in Beijing to win the Excellent Paper on environment. Baba who graduated with First Class from the University of Dutse has now graduated as overall best student in China Hohai University for Masters.
In a similar vein, another Nigerian-born mathematics guru, Idris Ahmed has developed 4 patented devices, and currently works as the Lead Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover cyber security department. Dr. Idris works on the engineering of Formula 1 cars and Jaguar. He’s a CEO and a lecturer too.
Similarly, a few years ago, four teenage girls, Duro-Aina Adebola (14), Akindele Abiola (14), Faleke Oluwatoyin (14) and Bello Eniola (15) dazzled Nigerians with their invention of a urine- powered generator at the Maker Faire Africa Exhibition. For it to work, urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which cracks the urea into nitrogen, water, and hydrogen. Eventually, 1 Liter of urine gives you 6 hours of electricity! Talk about the benefits of recycling what we term as a waste.
Other young Nigerian students at the Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH have come up with yam pounding machines and cowpea threshers. Little Pamela from Plateau state has invented a device which could be used to cook and dry. It is named Multi Energy Dual Purpose Device. While Collins from Abia state produced a solar-powered digital DC to AC inverter, his colleagues from other states have produced a power generating device by wind and the prototype of fuel generating machine.
In a similar vein, 25-year-old US-based Nigerian, Jessica Matthews, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Uncharted play, invented a power-generating football called SOCCKET ball. It is already on sale in New York and the cost is equivalent to what people pay for a solar inverter.
As patriots, who believe in the greatness of ‘One Nigeria’ we are proud to be associated with names of Professors Philip Emeagwali, Gabriel Oyibo, Samuel Achilefu, Babajide Alo and Ayodele Olaiya. They ring a loud and crisp-clear bell in the hallowed halls of creativity, globally. Others include Col. Oviemo Ovadje (Retd), Jelani Aliyu, Brino Gilbert, Shehu Saleh Balami, Saheed Adepoju, Seyi Oyesola, Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Cyprian Emeka Uzoh, Kunle Olukotun and Sebastine Chinonye Omeh, to name a few.
But while the products of their creative ingenuity are positively impacting on the global economic scene, far beyond our shores, their home country, Nigeria has not benefited much from their immense intellectual resources. Yet, the fault is not theirs but that of our policy makers.
For instance, Emeagwali is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the Internet. For his feats he was awarded the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize normally reserved for 18 scientists. Currently working on super computers, he explains that for every three barrels of crude oil in any place only one barrel can be extracted. But he has been able to use super computers to see the inside of oil fields with greater accuracy. With such he states that if only one per cent more oil is extracted it pays for itself as it amounts to billions of dollars! But has Nigeria, an oil-producing country leveraged on his great discovery? The answer is obvious.
On his part, Gabriel Oyibo, the Kogi State-born engineer, mathematician, researcher and physicist has done what Albert Einstein could not achieve for thirty years! In 2002 he successfully solved the Grand Unification Field Theory. His finding shows that one could go through 0 to 3 in a four dimensional space time, or go through 0 to any number. For that he was allegedly nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2002 and 2003.He is an expert that the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Massachusetts Institute of Technology has gained from. But has Nigeria recognized or utilized his technological breakthroughs? I am afraid, not.
In a similar vein, Nigeria has not benefited from Prof. Samuel Achilefu’s invention. His is the ground-breaking development of a set of high-tech, cancer-visualising goggles which assist surgeons to see cancer cells in real-time while operating on patients. It won him the prestigious St. Louis Award in 2014.
The time to act is now!
