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.
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.
The Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Innov8 Hub organized a workshop to commemorate IP Day ’22. The Workshop hosted professionals, students and organizations. This year’s celebration was themedIP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future. This year’s theme focused on ways young innovative, creative and energetic minds are steering positive change.
The event was held at the Event Hall of Innov8 Hub. Ms Victoria Onyeagbako the Intellectual Property Manager for Innov8 Hub moderated the event. The workshop featured panellists from different sectors and fields of expertise. The panellists were; Dr M.K Abba (Head of Learning Center) from IntelBox Solutions Limited, Mr Oluwajoba (cofounder) from Nest Hub, Ms Eno-Obong (Principal Registrar) from Patent and Design Registry, Mr Akpan (Director, Nigeria Copyright Institute) from Nigeria Copyright Commission.
The focal point of this workshop was to encourage Nigerian youths to think creatively when innovating. The Keynote speaker, Mr Oluwatobiloba Moody PhD (Assistant Professor Queen’s University, Canada) spoke on Youth and Innovation; Innovating for a better future. The panel session elaborated on the best practices for innovating a better future, and the role of patent and design registry in encouraging innovation in Nigeria, among others. Furthermore, panellists examined the regulatory measures during the innovation cycle and the stages.
As a department at Innov8 Hub, TISC acts as an arm of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Created in 2009, TISC aims to enable developing countries to better harness their innovative potential. TISC supports the development of countries’ IP capacity through access to patent data, scientific publications, search tools and databases. They provide a range of tech and innovative services that help inventors and researchers unlock their potential. These services include; access to patent and non-patent databases; networking; IP awareness & others. They also support patent search, filing, analysis, drafting & support, and use of patent information. Furthermore, commercialization and technology transfer support are one of their services.
To help them function efficiently, TISC staff undergo training from WIPO to support capacity building and skills. This training equips them with the knowledge and skills to offer a range of high-quality services to innovators. These training courses are in the form of on-site workshops, seminars and others by the WIPO Academy. Topics covered by this training include but are not limited to; basic concepts and skills in patent search, types, analysis etc.
TISC support for capacity building is facilitated through partnerships like The Access to Specialized Patent Information (ASPI) and Access to Research for Development and Innovation (ARDI). ASPI enables institutions in developing countries to obtain free or low-cost access to commercial patent database services. While ARDI aims to increase the availability of scientific and technical information in developing countries through a public-private partnership with the publishing industry.
The World IP Day ’22 at Innov8 Hub was attended by participants from Universities, Hubs, The Government, US Embassy and other organizations. Ms Izunna, the Human Resource Manager for Innov8 Hub gave the closing remarks.
We are excited to announce a partnership with the Nigerian Society of Engineers. on the 22nd of April 2022, Innov8 Technology Hub signed a partnership agreement with The Nigerian Society of Engineers. Representatives from both parties were present at the agreement signing. the partnership will usher in a new era for engineers in Nigeria.
R-L: Engr. Tasiu Wudil (President of the NSE) and the Representative for Innov8 Hub
The Nigerian Society of Engineers serves as the mother organization for Engineers in Nigeria. It handles members’ needs through its well-structured programmes and regular interactions among members. Thereby, promoting professionalism and ethical practices. The organization started as an initiative by a group of graduate engineers and students in the UK in 1958. Initiated at the Nigerian House in London, the Society has been active since then. Afterwards, it was registered as a company limited with a Guarantee at the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria.
Innovation Technology Hub is a not-for-profit and innovation-driven organization. Its core objectives include grooming a generation of innovators, inventors and researchers. We are also passionate about establishing a culture of innovation and creativity. We support innovation, start-up incubation, technology transfer, knowledge and skill sharing, and prototype development.
This is done by supporting the transformation of ideas into inventions, inventions to solutions and solutions into enterprises. Through several initiatives and partnerships, we unify brilliant minds with gifted hands. These innovators are given access to an enabling environment, mentoring, expertise, and technology for idea transformation.
The partnership between Innov8 and NSE is for capacity building in specific and specialized fields of engineering through the Technical Working Committee. The partnership would provide NSE members with an avenue for workshops and laboratory practice. This would allow the members to experiment in various fields of engineering/technology at the Hub. Furthermore, the partnership would drive research & development, special project design and implementation. Joint research on selected engineering disciplines would also be promoted.
Collaborating with the NSE on our mission of promoting an innovation-driven culture in Nigeria is a welcomed idea for us. We appreciate the commitment of the President of NSE, Engineer Tasiu Wudil and his team towards the encouragement of Innovation, Invention, Technology Transfer and Human Capital Development in Nigeria.
