Students build devices to improve water, air quality in Nigeria
Students of Marist College Yangoji have created two devices designed to tackle poor water and air quality in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Their devices utilize emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IOT) and Embedded Systems which are relatively new on the African Continent. Their innovation makes them a pioneer in the Smart Air Quality Monitoring and Smart Water Quality Monitoring device industry.
Their water quality monitor named Marist-WQM is equipped with multiple sensors for efficient remote smart water quality monitoring.
The device measures real-time pH, turbidity temperature etc. This device is suitable for portable water monitoring, fish farm management, seawater pollution monitoring, remote measurement of swimming pools. They were spurred to develop this device upon discovery that every year, 3.5 million people die from water related diseases and 2.2 million of this number are children.
The WHO’s report has it that 4 major Nigerian cities are among the 20 cities with the deadliest air quality in the world. Poor air quality causes lung cancer, triggers asthma, causes stroke in adults and stunted brain development for children under age 5.
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All these amongst others spurred the students to swing into action and create their air quality device called MARIST-AQM. This device utilizes various sensors and microprocessors to detect elevated level of harmful particles and chemicals, and relays the information to users via computers and smart phones in a format that is easy to interpret. In addition, it measures dust, carbon dioxide, various harmful chemicals, temperature, and humidity, and triggers a loud alarm and warning phone calls if air quality, humidity or temperature go extremely above normal.
Marist College Yangoji, Abuja, came out tops in the maiden edition of Afro-Students Entrepreneurship Education Summit in conjunction with the 2020 SAGE Business Innovation Challenge that had the participation of 13 teams from all over the country.
This qualifies them to lead the African delegation to Netherlands in August 2020 for the SAGE World Competition for young business leaders and innovators. They will compete with technologically advanced countries like China, America, Canada, Ireland, Israel and others.
Afro-Students Entrepreneurship Education Development (AFROSEED) is a non-profit initiative aimed at igniting the imaginative abilities and problem solving skills of young people in Africa by fostering access to functional entrepreneurship education, financial literacy and citizenship education. AFROSEED is simply SOWING the SEED for Africa’s Peace and Prosperity.
Project team leader, Mr Ayeh Romanus, expressed optimism that the project would inspire positive change in Nigeria and across Africa, as it provides opportunity for healthier live and economy, and also provides the much needed water and air quality to various stakeholders.
A team member, Master Emmanuel Nakanga, said water and air, the two essentials on which all life activities depends, are fast becoming global garbage cans. As green tech entrepreneurs, they owed their planet a solution to the menace of pollution as they only had one Earth to live and grow in.
He also believes that their devices would help relevant government agencies create policies from the real-time data their devices would gather, policies that would help combat water and air pollution. “We intend to sell this product to the world because air and water pollution is a global problem that needs urgent attention from global leaders,” he said.
The school also bagged two other awards which include the Best Business Project and best Advisor at the Afro-Students Entrepreneurship Education Development (AFROSEED) that took place in Abuja from 21st – 22nd of January, 2020 at NAF Conference Center, Abuja.
Marist College, Yangoji is one of the many secondary schools in Nigeria owned by Marist Brothers of the Schools, which include Marist Brothers Juniorate, Uturu, Marist Comprehensive Academy, Uturu, Marist Comprehensive College, Nteje and others. Marist Brothers of the Schools is a religious congregation in the Catholic Church with long history of providing quality education to young people.
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