The African Energy Indaba 2019 platform has announced its top 5 nominees for Africa’s Youth Energy Innovator award. The aim of the award Africa’s Youth Energy Innovator award was initiated by the prestigious African Energy Indaba in order to encourage and support young energy innovators.
The Top five African Energy innovators presented their products to a panel of energy experts. The products were evaluated for energy security, environmental sustainability, energy equity and job creation. The unique benefit in utilising the various products was also considered.
The five nominee innovators will be exhibiting their creations and energy solutions for delegates and other interested stakeholders at the African Energy Indaba Exhibition on the 19 and 20 of February at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The final 5 nominees are:
Bongajum Lesley Ndzi, a 32-year-old Cameroonian living in Senegal, who is endeavouring to bring light to students who need to study in the evening, and ultimately electricity to rural villages via a Power bike kit.
Bonface Jiveri (Kenya) for his bio-alkanol gel: Jiveri’s Bio-alkanol gel is made from fruit peel cellulose biomass and egg shells. The solution has been adopted for use in the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya and Kagera, where it has facilitated a reduction in malaria in the area and an improvement in income revenue due to the recycling of farm produce.
Victoria Henry Ngayamgunda (Tanzania) for her charcoal briquettes: Ngayamgunda uses agro-waste to produce charcoal briquettes. Through her solution, she aims to help rural communities while addressing the issue of sustainable development.
Hashim Mutanje (Uganda) for his energy demand data aggregation platform: Mutanje along with his team use his platform to assist and enable energy suppliers to efficiently plan their energy consumption while serving the needs of rural communities including small businesses.
Chifungu Samazaka (Zambia) for his peer-to-peer (P2P) gas microgrid system: Samazaka has invented a microgrid that allows off-grid communities to access low-cost and environmentally friendly cooking fuel. His innovation is a more accessible and affordable alternative to charcoal, firewood or electricity for off-grid consumers.
The five will exhibit their energy solutions to delegates and stakeholders at the Africa Energy Indaba Exhibition on 19 and 20 February at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Africa Energy Indaba managing director Liz Hart, commenting in the same statement, said the conference wants to foster “inspirational and innovative thinking” starting with “talented African youth”.
Hart added that the indaba, which will expose the innovators to a larger international audience, will provide the innovators with a platform to learn how to pitch their products and access new markets.
