Some young innovators in Nigeria including the 20-year-old Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, engineering student Usman Dalhatu, who built a portable automatic ventilator to help people with breathing problems were on Sunday, November 1 recognised and given some financial support my President Mohammadu Buhari.
The occasion was the maiden National Youth Day which also was the African Youth Day.
The 14 other young people were drawn from different fields and those who participated in an app challenge.
A statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Sheu informed that the young people awarded cut across different fields showcased by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
The Ministry also organised a 60-Day App Challenge competition in which 10 winners emerged across the country.
President Buhari was represented by the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello at the event.
He congratulated the young innovators on making the nation proud, assuring them that his government will continue to invest in entrepreneurship, skills, and career development.
The young people who received cash donations of N500,000 each from the Federal Government are:
Intissar Bashir Kurfi, Managing Partner, Ifrique Eco Solutions, a green Architect and environmentalist.
Kurfi, in her late twenties, established a factory for up cycling plastic waste in Abuja. The factory would upcycle Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) such as pure water sachets, plastic bottles, polythene bags, and others into Interlocking Tiles.
Surajo Ismaila, a 23-year old indigene of Rubochi in Kuje Area Council in Abuja, is a tractor, toys, vending machines, and remote control inventor.
Adejoke Lasisi, founder of Planet 3R and Jokelinks Weaving School, an African fabric designer and environmentalist.
She is the founder of Planet 3R and Jokelinks Weaving School – the first of their kinds in Nigeria.
Idris Bashir, 28, is the founder of Midrish Technologies Nigeria, credited to have developed an application to help farmers, small, medium, and large businesses to reach out to their customers.
In the 60 Day App Challenge competition, 10 young Nigerians emerged winners including Anasiudu Ikechukwu, Elioenal Yomi-Agbajor, Adegoke Oluwatosin Amos, Daniel Osi and Isaac Isaac Ozioma,
Others are Yushau El-Sunais Sani, Adeniji Oluwaferanmi, Solomon Yakubu Zamba, Andrew Mogbolu, and Olukayode Fadairo.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said thousands of entries were received for the App Challenge and after a detailed process by technical partners, 10 entries were selected to receive cash prizes of N1 million each, while a number of others won laptops.
