The Research for Impact workshop 3.1, initiated by TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, came to an end on the 18th of November, 2022.
Over an 11-day period, members of academia from different Polytechnics across Nigeria, were participants in the workshop. These lecturers went through the holistic process of turning research into prototype development over the duration of their stay. The participants chose challenges based on SDGs, and were shared into teams to turn problems into solutions.
At the end of the workshop:
TEAM Quality Education developed a Vibrotactile Telemetry; a mobile application that uses Morse codes to aid the learning of visually and hearing-impaired students in primary and secondary schools.
TEAM Energy developed a Home Energy Consumption Limiter & Monitor, for the provision of affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.
TEAM End Hunger’s innovation was a Solar-Powered Agricultural Spraying Machine, developed to tackle the labour associated with small-scale farming; with a special focus on women in rural areas.
TEAM Clean Water & Sanitation developed a Mini Water Treatment Plant, to provide clean and safe water.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Architect Sony Echono, represented by the director of the E.S’ office, Architect Uche Nwogu, challenged the participants not to stop the process of innovation, and also reminded them to continuously build their innovative capacities.
Speaking on behalf of Innov8 Hub, His Excellency, Mr. Edward Singhatey was full of praise for the Research for impact workshop. He commended TETFund for the initiative, congratulated the participants for being fully immersed in the process, and also lauded Innov8 Hub staff for the role played throughout the workshop.
At the close of the event, the R4i participants were presented with their certificates, signalling the end of their workshop.
18 academics and researchers from polytechnics across Nigeria commenced the second batch of the Research for Impact (R4i) capacity-building initiative of TETFUND, in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, on the 14th of November, 2022.
At the opening session, the General Manager of Innov8 Hub gave a brief welcome address, urging participants to be involved in every stage of their innovation, research, and development journey.
Subsequently, the Head of Product Design shared insights on the Hub’s activities with the new participants. He motivated the participants to break limits and explore their innovative minds by sharing some success stories of Innov8 Associates from previous programs of the Hub. He described how Innov8 Hub promotes the Nigerian innovation ecosystem through prototypes developed, the people and mentors who have gone through Innov8 Hub initiatives, resulting in the development and commercialization of their prototypes. The R4i participants were also introduced to Innov8 Hub experts who would engage with them throughout the workshop.
The Head of programs at Innov8 Hub later introduced participants to the core components of the workshop. He spoke about the importance of transforming ideas into solutions; informing participants on the process that would lead to the development of their prototypes.
18 lecturers from different polytechnics across Nigeria arrived Innov8 Hub as participants of TETFund Research for Impact (R4i) workshop, in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, Abuja. The Research for Impact workshop is a capacity-building program initiated by TETFund and Innov8 Hub, to groom academics through the processes and procedures of transforming research into solutions and prototypes.
Lecturers brainstorming during day 1 of the Research For Impact workshop
In the course of the workshop, participants would be immersed for 2 weeks in an intensive process of innovation development through Problem Definition, Ideation, Testing, Prototyping, Growing & Scaling Innovation, and Prototype Pitching.
I Choose Life Foundation in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, hosted the 3rd edition of “My Nigerian Dream”.
This year’s edition, themed “Innovate Tomorrow Today”, was a call for innovators and stakeholders within the Nigerian innovation ecosystem, to make plans for tomorrow by creating innovations today.
Jane Orikri, on behalf of Innov8 Hub, delivered the opening remark, calling participants and guests to action, and apprising them with the activities and initiatives of the Hub. Josiah Owura also of Innov8 Hub, gave a keynote address on moving “ideas to the market”; intimating the audience on the comprehensive process it takes to get this done. One of the Innovators of Innov8 Hub, Kabir Abdulrazaq, pitched the prototype of his innovation “Gas/Solar Egg Incubator” to the fascination of attendants.
The Hon. Minister of State for Science & Technology, with staff of Innov8 Hub
Other speakers included Chess Master Tunde Onakoya who spoke on Innovation in Slums; as well as Mr. Idowu Asumah who spoke on Digital Fabrication; Dr. Hope Omeiza spoke on Mental Health and Innovation, and a representative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mitchell Ofoyeju, admonished the young generation to desist from substance abuse.
To close the event, the Vice President of Nigeria, represented by the Honourable Minister of State for Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ike Ikoh said he was extremely happy to be at the event and full of emotion that he finally realized Nigeria has a great future. The Honorable Minister, addressing the youngsters in innovation, reiterated that they are not alone on this journey. He pleaded with them not to do anything with emotion or sentiment, but with rational judgment.
Innov8 Hub paid a courtesy visit to the Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo the 20th of October, 2022. The team went in company of the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria, His Excellency Michael Freeman and the deputy chief of missions Inbar Lipman Garden. The essence of the visit was to intimate the Vice President on the success and impact of Innov8 Hub in Nigeria, especially in the Innovation, R&D and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem over the last 2 years; with a focus on the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR), an initiative of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Nigeria in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President and Innov8 Hub.
The Vice President, a passionate promoter of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship development, warmly received the delegation and emphasized on further collaborations for National Development.
World Food Day (16th October) is an international day to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the same date in 1945. To mark this year’s celebration, Innov8 Hub recaps the activities of some of the agricultural Innovators who are Fellows of the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR). These Fellows developed innovations/prototypes with massive potential of influencing the food and agricultural value system in Nigeria.
Kabir Abdulrazaq’s innovation (Egg Incubator)
KABIR ABDULRAZAQ (Smart Egg Incubator)
Through i-FAIR, Kabir Abdulrazaq designed an automated Smart Egg Incubator, powered by both electricity and gas, for efficient and automated incubation. The creation of his prototype was motivated by the cost-accruing and power shortage challenges of egg incubation, to facilitate the hatching of healthy eggs for poultry farms.
SAMSON OGBOLE (Soilless Farm)
Sub-Saharan Africa experiences the challenge of crop seasonality, which affects fluctuation in the prices of agricultural produce. Samson Ogbole, through i-FAIR, developed a compact soilless farm Hydroponic Grow System, to offer a crop growth system principally made for urban areas, occupying just one square metre of space, and capable of growing over 525 vegetables per time.
ABDULLAHI ORIRE (Sogi Fish Feeder)
Fish farming in Nigeria has been hindered by the lack of capacity and technology to rear fish in large quantities, as the Federal Government states that the demand for fish exceeds 3.6 million metric tons, while the country is only able to produce about 1.2 million metric tons. Abdullahi Orire produced a solar-powered multipurpose aquaculture system for fish farmers to reduce the cost of fish farming by preventing wastage, underfeeding and overfeeding.
ACHI NUAJIED (Ginger Processor)
Achi Nuajied, a ginger farmer from Kaduna, Nigeria, created an automated system for processing ginger into other products. The manual processing of ginger into other products after cultivation is both stressful and rigorous, prompting ginger farmers to sell their produce to foreigners with the capacity to process. She has been able to process her ginger into oils, raisings, balms, drinks, and edible foods.
Since 1999, the African Union (AU) set aside the 13th of September, as the African day for Technology and Intellectual Property rights across the continent. Nigeria, through the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), has been at the forefront of celebrating this event, which is aimed at exploring and developing the intellectual potentials of Nigerian youths, researchers, inventors, and innovators; as well as enshrining the values Nigeria place on Science, Technology, and Innovation.
This year, NOTAP commemorated the day in the company of the participants from the Research for Impact Bootcamp at Innov8 Hub, Abuja.
The DG of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, in attendance at the event, waxed lyrical on the Innov8 Hub’s facility. He also commended the current and past works innovators have done through the Hub. Speaking furthermore on the need to improve funding for technology and innovation in the country, as well as rallying a call for intellectual property development, the DG was quoted saying:
“We need to see how to improve on the funding of technology in Nigeria. We have a very weak culture of protecting our intellectual property. We have a bad habit of telling the whole world about our ideas and innovation without publishing them the right way. When we do that, we leave it for the public to have a piece of our idea.
If Nigeria’s capacity needs to be developed in the areas of international best practices, every innovation or invention has to first be protected by patenting it. Patenting protects our innovations from piracy.’’ Dr. Ibrahim, also an academic, admonished members of the research community, reminding them that the development of the country rests on them as researchers and members of the academia. According to him, the Nigerian research community knows its problems better than anyone else. No one outside the country should help innovators and researchers find solutions to their problems, as they need to take responsibility for the development of science, technology, and innovation in Nigeria.
Mental health. When we talk about this, a lot of questions come to mind. Questions like, “What causes mental health issues? Are there treatments?
Mental health refers to our behavioural and emotional well-being; however, its crisis is any scenario in which a person’s actions, feelings, or behaviours put them in danger of injuring themselves or others.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics on mental crisis released in May 2021, it was estimated that; 26% of the world’s population suffer from anxiety; while 35% suffer from nervousness; 28% suffer from depression and 50% from psychological distress. See infographics below:
Infographics on mental health wellness designed by Ayooluwa Oluwafemi
Recent research shows that an estimated 20% of people aged 18 and older, or 1 in every 4 adults, suffer from a mental issue in any given year. According to a 2021 study conducted by a reliable source, people are more prone to suffering from health crises if; they have suffered economic loss, have pre-existing medical conditions, or live in densely populated areas.
The question now is, what exactly causes this crisis?
Causes of Mental Crisis
There are many causes, however, some things may have a bigger impact on some people than others. For instance, the following items harm one’s psychological well-being; abuse, trauma, social isolation, racism, social deprivation, poverty, debt, adult drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and severe adolescent trauma.
Therapy does not suit everyone; instead, people can select the treatment or combination of different therapy that works best for them. Some of which include:
Psychotherapy
The treatment of mental disease delivered by a skilled professional is known as psychotherapy. Psychotherapy analyzes thoughts, feelings, and actions to enhance a person’s well-being.
Medication
Medication does not totally treat mental illness. However, it may help with symptom control. The most effective strategy to improve healing is to combine prescription with psychotherapy.
Support Group
A support group is a gathering of people who help each other achieve the common aim of rehabilitation. Support groups usually entail non-professionals who have gone through comparable situations.
Hospitalization
In special cases where a person’s mental health abruptly degrades, hospitalization may be required so that they can be carefully watched, correctly diagnosed, or have their treatment modified. And many others.
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, mental illness and poor mental health are different. Without having a mental illness identified, a person may still have poor mental health. A person with a mental condition might have times of physical, mental, and social well-being. It is also important to note that we should not look down on people suffering from a mental health crisis, but help and proffer solutions where necessary.
The process of delivering public statements is known as public speaking. Recent research has shown that up to 75% of people suffer from Glossophobia. Glossophobia is a prevalent phobia which is the fear of public speaking. It isn’t a dangerous illness or chronic disease; it is just the medical name for fear of public speaking. Fear of speaking in public is a typical form of anxiety that most of us have experienced. Individuals with glossophobia may avoid speaking in public, as they typically experience fear and anxiety when speaking in front of a group.
This anxiety may not be restricted to talking to large audiences alone; these people may also have difficulty speaking in meetings, classrooms, groups, etc.
Being tense during a public speaking event affects the way the message is going to be passed or the quantity of the message. Fearful presenters frequently try to avoid the audience in the hopes that this would reduce their level of anxiety.
For instance, many speakers avoid eye contact with the audience to avoid “the judgmental look”. But the problem with this is that you would also not notice when your audience seems more interested or have questions.
You tend to focus more on your thoughts when you don’t have audience contact. And if you are a nervous speaker, your thoughts are bound to be negative and unrealistic.
As a nervous speaker, efforts to hide your fear so that it would not be noticed create additional fear. It just adds to the anxiety that you already feel.
– Ayooluwa Oluwafemi
Tips for Overcoming your Fear of Public Speaking
There are various ways one can overcome the fear of public speaking, some of which include;
Practicing out loud;
Do well to practice out loud, as it is one of the most crucial points. It would help if you practised because reading in the head doesn’t exercise your vocal organs; reading out loud does—practice in front of your family and friends for honest feedback.
Do some deep breathing;
Take two or more deep breaths, and this can be very calming. Take long, deliberate breaths before stepping up to the stage and throughout your speech.
Get organized.
Prepare the content you wish to offer ahead of time, including any audio or visual aids. The better prepared you are, the less worried you will be. If possible, visit the place you’ll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
Familiarize yourself with the space
arrive early and, if suitable, get on the stage; if not; imagine the audience and where you will stand on stage. Check that all equipment, such as a laptop or projector, is operational.
Understand your audience
will you be speaking to a group of specialists or someone who is unfamiliar with the subject? Being aware of your audience can assist you in structuring and preparing for your presentation. You should always know more than your audience does.
Don’t memorize your speech
committing your entire speech to memory and then forgetting even one line of it might cause things to spin out of control and leave you unable to remember the rest of it. It is far better to know the essence of what you want to communicate than memorizing your speech.
Preparation is the key to conquering your fear of public speaking. Solid preparation would make you feel more confident and comfortable with the whole experience and it makes you more confident in your capabilities as a fantastic public speaker.
E-Cube harnesses solar energy to provide solutions to developmental challenges in-line with the SDG Goals
On May 17th 2022, Innov8 Hub and LR Group commissioned the E-Cube Smart village. The event hosted dignitaries from the public and private sectors. LR Group’s Managing Partner and Innov8’s Executive Director gave speeches at the event. Also, there were speeches from the Ministry of Power, USAID and National Automotive Design.
E-CUBE
The E-Cube is a scalable, flexible and robust all-in-one solution; capable of providing clean drinking water and electricity through solar energy, thereby eliminating the need for traditional electricity sources. It is built around sustainability, making it an asset to communities and organizations. it is erected within 24 hours and requires zero maintenance. The solar-powered centre is built around the green – clean – sustainable approach. It contains the following components;
An ICT Hub
A Charging Station offering clean energy to charge laptops and mobile phones
A Clinic offering primary healthcare services,
A Control Room
Community Centers for relaxation and learning purposes, and
A water purification plant.
The E-Cube Smart Village
Commissioning
Commenting on the E-cube, Mr Doron Retter, the Managing Partner & CEO Agriculture Division of the LR Group, said; “the E-Cube is not only a solar energy system; it is an integration solution with several applications. Its main applications are the e-learning facility, Telemedicine, agriculture production, community centre, water treatment and a community hub. The final idea is to encourage the construction of these components in Nigeria, thereby facilitating the export of E-Cube to other Sub-Saharan Nations and Africa at large”.
Mr Doron Retter, the Managing Partner & CEO Agriculture Division of the LR Group
The Executive Director of Innov8 Hub, Mr Eduard Singhatey, in his speech “the smart village concept with better infrastructure and connectivity”, said; “Innov8 Hub provides an environment, facility and infrastructure for young Nigerians to come up with their ideas and put those ideas into actual products with the help of our experts & mentors (domestic and international).”
While commenting on the E-Cube, he said, “to fasten the efforts of solving are executing the SDG goals, what we need are intelligent solutions. The E-Cube smart Village covers the first seven SDG goals and offers a solution to their challenges at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure development. For instance, Telemedicine would allow people who don’t have access to hospitals or a doctor to get the quality Medicare they deserve but at a fraction of the cost – because a doctor does not have to be deployed. There can be a trained technician that would be an intermediary. Furthermore, the deployment of E-Cube would stem the problems associated with access to potable water for rural areas, thereby mitigating the death and illness toll arising from unsafe water consumption in these areas.
He added that “a facility like this at the centre of the community would have a multifaceted benefit that would change lives overnight. Users get access to a steady power supplysupported by solar energy, potable water, ICT and educational facilities in a conducive environment. If we follow the traditional routes to development for the SDGs, albeit noble, our efforts will turn our intents into distant dreams. But with intelligent solutions offered by the E-Cube, we are guaranteed a lesser cost, more features, easy adaptability, and ease of installation across different areas”.
He further urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to buy into the concept of E-Cube smart Village to alleviate the suffering and lives of the citizens. According to him, the E-CUBE concept is worth $250,000 and was invented according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030). It will help solve the challenges of rural needs in e-learning, agriculture production, Telemedicine, community centre, water treatment and connectivity hub. He also noted that achieving development in the rural area is an expensive feat as ten million people do not have access to electricity citing the World Bank report in 2020”.
Speaking to journalists, a representative of the LR Group of Israel, E-Cube, Avi Eluayam, explained that the “E-CUBE is scalable. We can have a smaller system, and we have a larger system. The system that we have on display here has 50 kilowatts of modules and can generate 300 kilowatts per day. That is enough for a community of 300-400 families. The cost of it is about $250,000. So it is a high capital cost, but then for 20 years, you have zero maintenance costs. You don’t need to buy diesel, and you don’t need to transport diesel. You don’t need to deal with environmental issues. And I think that in Nigeria, we can receive long term financing and then if this system can finance for 20 years, we can have a meagre monthly cost for this.”
L-R: Brig. Gen. O O Odunuga (Rep. DG Defence Research and Development Bureau), Mr Jelani Aliyu (DG National Automotive Design and Development Council) and Mr Avi Elkayam
The Acting Director, Renewable and Rural Power Access Department of the ministry, Mr Ali-Dapshima Abubakar, praised the E-Cube initiative and confirmed it as a new turn affordable and sustainable in Nigeria’s power sector. In his keynote address at E-Cube’s inaugural and demonstration ceremony, he stated this.
Mr Abubakar, represented by Engr. Sam, Chief Electrical Engineer in the ministry, said that renewable energy through solar energy has become critical to the future of power generation for Nigeria’s megacities, industrial hubs and rural areas. Abubakar said: “Permit me to commend the commitment and dedication of the LR Group on the design and commissioning of E-Cube. I believe this is a good beginning for more such projects that will increase access to energy affordably and sustainably.”
L-R: Mr Meir Dagan (GM Innov8 Hub), Mr Avi Elkayam, Mr Ilan Lugassy, Prof. Gregory Ibe (Founder and Chairman of Innov8 Hub and Skill G Nigeria Limited), Mr Doron Retter, and Mr Eldad Loewinstein
Other Notable organizations represented at the event are; the Defense Intelligence Agency; Central Bank of Nigeria, USAID, US Embassy, ECOWAS, SHETSCO, Firma Advisory, NADDC, AEA, Energy Commission, Access bank, NERDC, NDLEA, NPSP, Embassy of Hungary, Project Support Service, University of Abuja, 9 Mobile, Nigerian Correctional Service (prisons), SON, NEMA, NASENI, Federal Ministry of Power, NNPC, FRSC, NSCDC, SOBAMS, EFCC, NCAIR, NITDA, NCAIR, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank, NUC, NIRSAL, Sea Quest, NACCIMA, Clean Tech Hub, NBTE, BOI, and several media agencies.
