Royal Academy of Engineering Recognizes Businesses led by TEF entrepreneurs
Nigerian TEF Alumni, Ifediora Ugochukwu and Emeka Nwachinemere from the set of 2015 have been shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The shortlist recognises the most talented engineers from across sub-Saharan Africa, including innovators working to make malaria and reproductive health tests easier, using dolphin-inspired echo-location for visually impaired people, and recovering precious metals from car parts for re-use in manufacturing.
The Africa Prize was launched in 2014 by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The six-month programme provides a unique package of support, including funding, comprehensive business training, bespoke mentoring and access to the Royal Academy of Engineering’s network of high profile, experienced engineers and business development experts. After six months of mentoring and training, four finalists will be selected from the shortlist. In June 2018 the finalists will present their businesses to judges in front of a live audience, after which one winner will receive £25,000, and three runners up will be awarded £10,000 each.
Each of the 16 engineers will develop skills that last a lifetime, and become part of a growing community of talented African engineers working to accelerate socio-economic development through business.
The shortlist, which represents the fourth group of engineers supported through the Africa Prize, also features several digital innovations. Among them are mobile apps that grant micro-loans within minutes, an app that makes it easy for musicians to manage bookings and sell merchandise, and another to help commuters book one of the 20,000 trips taken daily on motorcycle taxis in the city of Kigali, Rwanda.
Agricultural innovations also feature strongly like Emeka Nwachinemere (2015) also feature with Kitovu, an online platform that helps farmers in remote locations to increase crop yields and sell their produce
Also, Ifediora Emmanuel Ugochukwu (2015) from Nigeria with the iMeter and AMI solution, which gives electricity consumers and power utilities control over electricity use
