Kenyan Norah Magero wins £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2022
Press release by Royal Academy of Engineering
Norah Magero has won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation with Vaccibox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports medicines like vaccines, for use in field vaccinations and remote clinics.
Magero is the first Kenyan to win the award in its eight-year history, and the second woman.
“VacciBox was designed with our local challenges in mind. It’s versatile, reliable and localised. We’re ensuring that it works the way healthcare workers need it to work for the conditions they face each day, so that they can save lives without worrying about technology,” said Magero.
Infrastructure and human resource challenges across Kenya continue to hamper vaccine distribution, with 3 in 10 children not adequately vaccinated.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cold-chain challenges faced by healthcare practitioners and supply chains in distributing temperature-sensitive medicine were highlighted globally, and remain a problem for many types of vaccines.
“This award will help us continue to develop Vaccibox to help get life saving vaccines to many more people,” said Magero. “I’ve grown immensely and met such brilliant engineers and non-engineers doing amazing things through the Africa Prize.”
The 40 litre VacciBox is portable and lightweight. It can be wheeled or mounted on a bicycle, motorbike or boat, and has a telescopic handle for easy mobility.
A built-in thermostat and digital thermometer maintain temperatures required for cold-chain medicines, a battery supply as well as mains and solar panel connectivity and a charge controller, ensure power stability. It can transport blood and tissue and can be monitored remotely to ensure reliability.
At the virtual awards ceremony held on 15 June 2022, four finalists delivered presentations, before Africa Prize judges and a live audience voted for the most promising engineering innovation.
“We’re delighted to award VacciBox the Africa Prize. The potential impact of improving the cold chain delivery of medicine – especially vaccines – to rural areas is immense,” said Alessandra Buonfino, Africa Prize judge.
“Norah truly represents the idea that one innovator can change an entire community. We look forward to watching her and her team scale this innovation to reach even more people.”
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To date, the 102 Africa Prize alumni businesses have raised more than 14 million USD in grants and equity and created more than 1,500 new jobs, with over 50% of these going to women and a significant proportion to disabled people and youth.
About Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation, and has a proven track record of identifying successful engineering entrepreneurs.
Now in its eighth year, it supports talented sub-Saharan African entrepreneurs with engineering innovations that address crucial problems in their communities in a new way.
The 16 shortlisted Africa Prize entrepreneurs from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa received eight months of training and mentoring including support with developing business plans, recruitment, IP protection, financing and commercialisation.
The Africa Prize also exposes and connects the shortlist to individuals and networks around the world who can accelerate their business and technology development – from fellow entrepreneurs and mentors to potential investors and suppliers.
The three other finalists, who each receive £10,000
Crib A’glow, Virtue Oboro from Nigeria – Foldable photo-therapy cribs that treat jaundice in newborns. The crib can operate on solar or grid power and monitors the baby’s condition.
Hyena Power Pod, Jack Fletcher from South Africa – A fuel-cell based hydrogen generator that converts LPG gas into usable electricity, all within one device.
Solimi prepaid card, Gaël Egbidi from Togo – A prepaid, Visa-backed card and account that does not require users to be customers of a specific bank, providing unbanked individuals with greater access to the digital economy.
In addition to the main prizes awarded, the remaining 12 innovators from the 2022 shortlist presented their innovations to a live audience who voted for the pitch that showed the most promise and potential for impact.
Femi Taiwo was selected as the winner of the Africa Prize’s One-to-Watch Award of £5,000. This Award recognises the potential of Taiwo’s innovation, an online platform that connects users to freelancers, so small business owners can find and safely outsource key skills such as coding and accounting.
The other 12 candidates shortlisted for the 2022 Africa Prize
A-Lite Vein Locator, Dr Julius Mubiru, Uganda—A device that maps patients’ veins out as shadows on their skin, helping medical staff insert a drip or draw blood more easily.
Agelgil, Afomia Andualem, Ethiopia—A sustainable range of packaging and tableware made from agricultural by-products such as barley and wheat straw.
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Aquaponics Hub, Lawrencia Kwansah, Ghana—A kit for new users to set up their own aquaponics system, complete with smart sensors to monitor crops and fish, and an online marketplace to sell produce.
Bleaglee, Juveline Ngum, Cameroon—A sustainable cooking system that includes a smokeless cookstove made from recycled metal scraps, bio-briquettes, and an off-grid bio-digester.
Coldbox Store, Adekoyejo Kuye, Nigeria—An off-grid cold storage solution for farmers to store and sell fresh produce without relying on the electrical grid.
Genesis Care, Catherine Wanjoya, Kenya—A system to dispense and later dispose of feminine hygiene products. The system is installed to give young girls access to affordable products.
HoBeei, Mariam Eluma, Nigeria—An online free-cycle platform where users can upload unwanted or unused items in exchange for virtual currency with which to purchase other goods.
Kukia, Divin Kouebatouka, The Republic of the Congo—A process that transforms the invasive water hyacinth plant into an absorptive fibre that can clean up oil spills and stop oil leaks on land or water.
Peec REM, Philip Kyeswa, Uganda—A remote monitoring and metering system for off-grid solar installations. It also alerts utilities to blackouts or tampering.
SolarPocha, Oluwatobi Oyinlola, Nigerian—An outdoor workstation, a solar-powered space where students can connect to WiFi and off-grid electricity.
TelMi, Fabrice Tueche, Cameroon—A set of devices that help nurses monitor patients, respond to alarms, and collect data in order to improve workflow and response times.
TERAWORK, Femi Taiwo, Nigeria—An online platform that connects users to freelancers, so small business owners can find and safely outsource key skills such as coding and accounting.
Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2023
The next Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is now open. Individuals and small teams living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, and who have an engineering innovation, are invited to apply for Africa Prize 2023 after reading further guidance notes.
The deadline for entries is 19 July 2022.
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
