African innovators changing the continent for the better.
INNOVATION, FOR THE BETTER part OF the last century, has stood as the corner stone for the growth and development of most the world's leading economies. Edmund Phelps, Nobel Prize-winning economist, states that most innovation was not driven by a few isolated visionaries like Henry Ford; rather, it was driven by millions of people empowered to develop and market innumerable new products and processes, and improvements to existing ones. Mass flourishing--a combination of material wellbeing and the "good life" in a broader sense--was created by this mass innovation. It can therefore be argued that innovation is a doorway to the betterment of African societies.The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) recently announced the finalists for the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2014. The mix of innovators represented by this group is a reminder of the diversity, versatility and ingenuity that roams the continent. From Ethiopia to Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Togo and Uganda, these innovators have not only created solutions that can be applied to uniquely African problems--their visionary work can potentially change the world in tangible ways. For example, Dr. Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Pires (SA)'s Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Aids OBM) is the first injectable porcine-derived BMP medical device in the world--an innovative product for the treatment of bone injuries and voids through the use of a regenerative biological implant. Before the Altis OBM was invented, patients with serious bone trauma or degradation would have to endure the removal of bone tissue from their own hips or from deceased donors in the hopes of undergoing successful bone crafting surgery-both very invasive methods. The Altis OBM is changing the way surgeons across the world look at bone regeneration in the same manner as Chris Barnard changed how the medical world now approaches cardiac surgery--a potentially massive improvement in people's quality of life.
The IPA 2014 finalists represent Africa's immense hope and potential. "The IPA Award finalists 2014 were chosen from almost 700 applications from 42 countries," says Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, founder of the African Innovation Foundation and the IPA. "These innovators represent Africans' potential to address the challenges that are unique to the continent." By identifying what is lacking in various sectors and coming up with ideas that will improve society, they change their environment and ours, one idea at a time. It is vital, as Africa stands on the edge of its forecasted economic revolution that a multi-sectoral approach is taken to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who are striving to move Africa's development forward.
Watching IPA 2014 finalist Joshua Okello (Uganda)'s TEDx talk can inspire generations of Africans to invest in innovation. Inspired by a very pressing problem of antenatal maternal deaths, Mr Okello decided to immerse himself in Information Technology because he wanted to come up with a solution to that problem-99 percent of antenatal maternal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly because of incorrect diagnoses and the lack of access to proper antenatal gynaecological support. Collaborating with a friend, he built a mobile, low-cost and high-quality antenatal diagnosis tool that is not dependent on midwives' expertise and puts the power back in the patient's hands. His dream is that the future mothers can measure foetal heartbeat and be aware of any potential abnormalities, allowing them to seek help as needed before it is too late. One can only imagine the impact that this sort of innovation can have on millions of lives of women across the continent.
Looking at the calibre of the IPA 2014 finalists, one can safely say that no matter who wins the prize on 5 May in Abuja, Nigeria, Africa's talent is evident, continuously growing and poised to have a powerful impact on the Africa of tomorrow. A common thread linking all of this year's finalists is their passion for Africa and their deep-seated belief that solutions to the continent's challenges do no need to be outsourced. They believe that Africans can innovate for Africa and move the continent's development forward in the process. Borrowing from Mr Okello, three words summarise what each IPA 2014 finalist stands for and what every African innovator lives by: passion, love and Africa. Passion keeps these innovators going when things get tough and resources are limited-they never give up. They also love the communities that they serve and feel that they can make an indelible impact on their environment. Lastly, they recognise that a new narrative is being written about the continent--one that we all have to embrace-and they proudly take the lead in being not just the receivers, but also the authors of the new African story.
Meet the Innovation Prize for Africa 2014 Finalists:
01 Ashley Uys (South Africa)
OculusID impairment Screening
The OculusID Impairment Screening device is designed to measure pupil response to light emissions. The pupil response can then be measured against pre-determined benchmarks. These benchmarks are applied to measure substance abuse, physiological defects and even fatigue. The device is a far less invasive procedure than existing methods.
02 Daniel Gitau Thairu (Kenya)
Domestic Waste Biogas System
The Domestic Waste Biogas System is a new type of biogas digester which utilises any material capable of decomposing instead of relying on animal dung to generate gas. Materials that can be used include dirty water, leftover food, spoiled grain, and vegetable and fruit peelings. This makes biogas usable even by households that cannot afford animals.
03 Elise Rasel Cloete (South Africa)
GMP Traceability Management Software CC
This software is programmed to capture, store and trace data about livestock and enables data to be captured in real time. The data is linked to the unique visual ear tag and stored on the system/remote server.
04 Joshua Okello (Uganda) WinSenga
This innovation is a low-cost mobile phone-based antenatal diagnosis kit that captures foetal heart beat sounds and provides diagnosis which is sent to the mother through SMS. The data can also be uploaded to cloud storage.
05 Logou Minsob (Togo)
Foufoumix
This is a device designed to replace the mortar and pestles used in preparing the popular West African dish, foufou. The "FOUFOUMIX "is a small electrical food processor that allows generates discreet, quick and hygienic foufou in eight minutes, substantially reducing the amount of time needed to prepare the dish, while also enhancing the hygienic conditions during production.
06 Dr. Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Pires (South Africa) Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM[TM])
Altis OBM is the world's first injectable bone-graft product containing a complex mix of various bone growth compounds derived from porcine (pig). It is used to stimulate the host's own tissue regeneration system in a way that leads to the healing of a fracture or bone void, much in the same way as occurs in a normal unassisted fracture healing processes.
07 Maman Abdou Kane (Niger)
Horticultural Tele-Irrigation
The Horticultural Tele-Irrigation system is a technological process that allows growers to remotely control their market garden irrigation system through a mobile or land line regardless of geographic location.
08 Sulaiman Bolarinde Famro (Nigeria)
Farmking Mobile Multi-crop Processor
The innovation uses centrifugal forces to process cassava, sweet potatoes, soy, she-nuts. grains and cereals. It helps to separate the tubers from liquid, particles and impurities/toxic elements. The extractor is designed to replace the present crude fermentation and pressing technology which is extremely slow and wasteful and offers limited output and profitability. The extractor reduces a process that normally takes 3-4 days into a five-minute process offering higher quality product outputs.
09 Melesse Temesgen (Ethiopia)
Aybar BBM
The Aybar BBM is a low-cost farming device that can be used by farmers to plough fields that are usually waterlogged and helps them easily drain the water. This turns soils or fields that were otherwise unavailable for farming into high-yielding fields.
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| Title Annotation: | THE FUTURE THEY INNOVATE |
|---|---|
| Comment: | African innovators changing the continent for the better.(THE FUTURE THEY INNOVATE) |
| Publication: | African Business |
| Geographic Code: | 60SUB |
| Date: | May 1, 2014 |
| Words: | 1290 |
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