Africa Prize is a challenge that encourages ambitious and talented Sub-Saharan Africa engineers to apply their skills to develop scalable solutions to local challenges. It highlights the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development. If shortlisted, you will be taken through a six months training period of training and mentoring. The challenge is an initiative of the Royal Academy of Engineering and is supported by Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Consolidated Contractors Company, ConocoPhillips and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
The competition was started due to the realization that in Africa there are a range of challenges which could be solved by practical engineering solutions. These challenges are related to energy, water and food security, transport and infrastructure among others. However, presently there lacks sufficient capacity and skills to develop and implement these solutions. The prize aims to stimulate, celebrate and reward engineering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Last year’s competition winner was Arthur Zang from Cameroon for his engineering innovation, Cardio-Pad. Cardio-Pad is a small tablet device that allow any medical professional to perform heart diagnostics at any location. The diagnostics, sent to a cardiologist are interpreted under 20 minutes. Hundreds of cardio-pads have so far been built and the device has already been sold in Cameroon, Gabon, India and Nepal. Arthur has also opened a medical assembly facility for the device in Yaounde thus creating local jobs. The devices are distributed to hospitals free of charge and subscriptions are charged to individual patients at a low yearly rate. Zang won 25,000 GBP at an event held last month in Tanzania.
Runners up for the competition included, Felix Kimaru (Totohealth) from Kenya for a web-based network that supplies mothers amd pregnant women with life-saving information and advice, Eddie Aijuka (Kamata) from Uganda for an electricity theft prevention device that attaches to each household power supply and alerts authorities who cut off power in case the power is tampered with and Matt Wainwright (Standard Microgrid) from South Africa for an electricity utility in a box that speeds up rural electrification and reduces energy costs. The three runners up each won 10,000 GBP.
If you are an engineer and have an innovative engineering solution, click here to apply. The deadline for application is 30th June 2016 so hurry up and apply