Sixteen (16) engineering innovators from seven African countries, have been shortlisted for the 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with applications received from a record 30 countries.
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the continent’s largest engineering award, highlights groundbreaking solutions tackling critical challenges in health, sustainability, and technology across sub-Saharan Africa.
What’s new
- Sixteen innovators from Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Togo have been shortlisted for a share of the £60,000 Africa Prize fund.
- Their solutions address maternal and neonatal health, upcycling and green energy, smart agritech, AI-powered accessibility tools, and clean cooking alternatives.
By the numbers
- The Africa Prize, launched in 2014, has supported 149 businesses from 22 countries, creating over 28,000 jobs and benefiting 10 million+ people.
- 71% of alumni generate revenue, collectively securing $39 million in grants and equity funding.
Zoom in
- Innovations include Aquamet (Ghana), a water-quality monitoring device for fisheries, Neo Nest (Uganda), a neonatal warming and monitoring device, and TERP 360 (Kenya), an AI-powered sign language translator.
- Other solutions tackle food security, waste recycling, and renewable energy, such as Community Kitchens Powered by Renewable Energy (Kenya) and Eco-Plates (Mozambique), biodegradable plates infused with seeds.
Shortlisted innovations and entrepreneurs
- Aquamet (Ghana) – Frank Owusu’s real-time water-quality monitoring device for fisheries.
- Autothermo (Uganda) – Nura Izath’s newborn health-monitoring bracelet.
- Community Kitchens Powered by Renewable Energy (Kenya) – Peter Njeri’s clean cooking gas made from plastic waste.
- E-Safiri (Kenya) – Carol Ofafa’s expansion of electric mobility infrastructure.
- Eco Plastic Wood (Tanzania) – Edgar Edmund Tarimo’s upcycling of plastic waste into lumber and furniture.
- Eco-Plates (Mozambique) – Rui Bauhofer’s biodegradable plates made from maize husks.
- FarmBot (Togo) – Sam Kodo’s autonomous crop-monitoring robot.
- FreshPack (Tanzania) – Editha Mshiu’s electricity-free cold storage solution inspired by human skin.
- Hybrid Solar Dryers (Kenya) – James Nyamai’s agricultural dryers powered by biofuels and solar energy.
- Mkanda Salama (Tanzania) – Paschal Kija’s postpartum hemorrhage management device.
- Neo Nest (Uganda) – Vivian Arinaitwe’s neonatal warming and monitoring device.
- Play and Learn Web App (Nigeria) – Chinelo Okafor’s AI-powered digital training tool.
- Smart Hive Device and Precision Pollination Technology (Kenya) – Margaret Wanjiku’s AI-powered beekeeping innovation.
- Smart Luku (Tanzania) – Shabo Andrew’s smart meter for shared electricity management.
- A Sustainable Agro-Tech Solution (Nigeria) – Ahmed Maruf’s scrap metal upscaling for industrial machinery.
- TERP 360 (Kenya) – Elly Savatia’s AI-powered real-time sign language translation.
What they’re saying
- Neo Hutiri, 2019 Africa Prize winner, on the programme’s impact: “Being part of the Prize was a game-changer. Media exposure led to key meetings, and today, my innovation is in over 100 healthcare facilities.”
- Rebecca Enonchong, Africa Prize judge: “This year’s innovations focus on neonatal healthcare, food security, and upcycling—key priorities in Africa’s innovation landscape.”
What’s next
- Shortlisted innovators will undergo an eight-month business training programme.
- Four finalists will pitch at the final event in Senegal in October, where the winner takes home £25,000.
- Applications for the 2026 Prize open in July under a new two-stage process to streamline submissions.
