Young Nigerian innovators showcased technology-driven solutions designed to address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges at the AfriVatech iResearch Fellowship Cohort One Grand Pitch.
The event featured seven young research fellows drawn from major Nigerian universities, who presented innovative projects designed to address issues ranging from food safety and healthcare to agriculture and antimicrobial resistance.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart, commended the participants for their ingenuity and commitment to developing home-grown solutions to African problems.
According to him, startups driven by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics hold the key to solving many of the continent’s developmental challenges.
“At this critical time, no one is going to rescue Africa other than we Africans ourselves,” he said, stressing the need for greater investment in STEM education, research and innovation across the continent.
The pitch session, held virtually, was moderated by Dr Moses Ojo and Adewale Aboderin, featuring a rigorous evaluation process based on problem relevance, innovation, impact potential, leadership and clarity of presentation.
Among the projects presented was a research by Mercy Sado, which focused on tackling the health risks associated with adulterated honey through the use of trusted harvesters, laboratory testing and QR-code-based traceability for product verification.
Another fellow, Tife Kerry, presented ‘Green Cycle: Organic Fertiliser Production,’ a technology-driven solution that converts agricultural waste into organic fertiliser, aimed at improving soil health while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers.
Other presentations included Sekinah Adegbite’s digital continuity model for hypertension and diabetes care in Nigeria, Aminat Adeshiyan’s ‘BioSecured Futures,’ and Boluwatife Balogun’s ‘Sentisense Africa,’ which proposes a real-time surveillance system to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Tolulope Oladipo also presented a multimodal artificial intelligence framework for health surveillance, while Winner Bakati introduced ‘RedBarn Agrihub,’ a model designed to support year-round vegetable production and household adoption.
After deliberations, Kerry emerged as the overall winner with 84 per cent, followed by Sado with 67 per cent and Balogun with 64.5 per cent.
The results were announced by former Egyptian Minister of Health, Dr Halla Zaid, who served as a judge alongside Olanrewaju-Smart.
Zaid praised the fellows for their strong understanding of the challenges facing their communities and encouraged them to pursue their ideas and continue developing impactful solutions.
The top three participants are expected to join the AfriVatech research team, where they will gain access to global opportunities and potential funding to support the development of their science and technology startups.
