TECHDIGEST– Silas Adekunle is a renowned robotics engineer from Nigeria, who has gained worldwide recognition for his groundbreaking inventions in the field of robotics. He became the world’s highest paid robotics engineer at the age of 31, owing to his extraordinary skills and exceptional talent.

Mr. Adekunle is the founder of Reach Robotics, a company that specializes in the development of advanced robotic technology for gaming and entertainment purposes. In 2016, he developed the world’s first intelligent gaming robot, Mekamon, which garnered immense popularity and sold over 500 units.

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He holds a First Class Honors degree in Robotics, along with an honorary degree from the University of the West of England, Bristol. His contributions to the field of robotics have earned him numerous accolades and awards, including a place on Forbes Europe’s 30 Under 30: Technology list in 2018, and a position on the Financial Times’ Top 100 Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology list.

In 2017, Apple signed an exclusive deal with Mr. Adekunle to incorporate his innovative creation, Mekamon, into their products. Mekamon is a four-legged robot that can be controlled through a smartphone app and is specifically designed for gaming. It has the ability to battle other Mekamons, learn new skills, and develop its own unique personality through its artificial intelligence.

Mr. Adekunle’s pioneering work in the field of robotics has received widespread acclaim and appreciation from industry experts and peers alike. His ingenuity, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit have inspired numerous young people to pursue careers in robotics and artificial intelligence. He serves as a role model for future innovators and continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of robotics.

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By Raphael

TECHDIGEST – “Lagos remains in the tech global market and in the map of the global space as a destination of choice where investors, tech experts see as a place to be. It is the heartbeat and commercial nerve-centre of the country, therefore, we will continue to support investors and create an enabling environment for their businesses to flourish”.  –Gov. Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State (Statement made at the launch of Mainone/MDXI new Data Centre)

When Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg paid a surprise visit to CcHUB, a local innovation centre and tech hub,jointly owned by BosunTijani and Femi Longe, located in Yaba, known as Nigeria’s Silicon Valley, CNN described the historic event— his first to sub-Saharan Africa, as “putting the country’s tech businesses firmly in the world’s spotlight.It was the day Silicon Valley came to Nigeria, and there was hardly any Nigerian with Internet access who didn’t know that”.  It would be recalled that Zuckerberg said that: “This is my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. I’ll be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. The energy here is amazing and I’m excited to learn as much as I can.”

At the CcHUB, he interacted with children at a summer coding camp and entrepreneurs who visited the centreto build and launch their apps. Tijani, one of the founders of the tech hub told CNN that: “By coming here first, he’s given a lot of hope to young people here,” The reason for his statement was not far-fetched because to succeed with start-ups in Nigeria is to survive against all odds, including weak infrastructure, epileptic power supply and pervasive lack of funding and investment.That was on August 30, 2016. It is both interestingly and inspiring therefore, that some six years later, the forward-looking Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state, who certainly knows his onions and well aware that the future is now, and that virtually every sector of our economy and social life is defined by the imperative of modern technology has taken the paradigm notches higher. Specifically, during the recent launch of Mainone/MDXI new Data Centre, a subsidiary of Equinox Technology which is a cable and communication services company, the governor reiterated the fact that the state is leading in technology start-upand in technology development as well as e-commerce in West Africa. He pledged that his administration would continue to support and design policies to help in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos State. As he rightly noted, the added values of job creation, knowledge and skills would be acquired by those employed in the facility. What more, they would be trained so that they could compete with their counterparts on a global level all over the world. Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that: “We are home to three Fintech Unicorns – Paystack, Flutterwave and Interswitch, among many other very successful, globally recognized Start-ups. We are also a leading global city in e-commerce and retail technology, transportation technology and education technology, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index.

“We are also putting our skin in the game. We have reached advanced stages of the rollout of 3,000km of terrestrial fibre across the State”. But that was only part of the achievements in the field of modern technology that he reeled out. He stated that Lagos state was developing a K.I.T.E Cluster/Campus in Yaba, Lagos, on 22,000 square meters of land, in partnership with the private sector. K stands for Knowledge, I for Innovation, T for Technology and E for Entrepreneurship. Then he added the clincher that: “We have just established a new University, the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUTECH), focused on building capacity in science, technology, and innovation in Lagos State.” It was a moment of elation therefore, when he said that his administration is “very proud” of the Managing Director of Mainone/MDXI, Ms. FunkeOpeke and what she has achieved with MainOne over the last 12 years. On her part, Opeke explained that:  “The facility will further help in boosting development especially in areas of data gathering and content creation. All telecommunications companies are connected to the facility, lots of major institutions are providing critical services all over West Africa with this facility,”

Notably, the governor added that:“Entrepreneurs like Ms. Opeke are solid proof of what Nigeria and Nigerians can achieve when we set our minds to it and pursue business dreams that are ambitious and world changing.”That was hitting the nail right on the head. And it is because, as at this day Nigeria remains the proud homeland of some of the world’s remarkable, trail-blazing inventors and innovators in the fertile fields ofmedicine,transportation, science and information technology. Efforts such as the public-private partnership catalyzed by Lagos state government will eventually produce more of the Philip Emeagwalis, the Silas Adekunles, Saheed Adepojus, Ndubuisi Ekekwes,  Cyprian Emeka Uzohs, Yemi Adesokans and Brino Gilberts. Did you know, for instance, that our own Silas Adekunle, a Nigerian inventor and entrepreneur created the world’s first intelligent gaming robotand has become the highest-paid robotics engineer in the world after signing a new deal with Apple Inc in 2018? What about Philip Emeagwali? He designed the program and formula for the fastest computer on earth, the Connection Machine.As an epochal feat, his breakthroughs in computing helped lead to the development of the internet. The Nigerian-born genius,Saheed Adepoju is the inventor of the INYE-1 & 2, tablet computers designed for the African market while  Seyi Oyesola is credited with the co-invention of CompactOR or the “Hospital in a Box”. It is a solar-powered life-saving operating room which can be transported to remote areas of Africa and set up within minutes.

As for Jelani Aliyu, he is globally acclaimed for designing General Motors’ leading auto brand, Chevrolet Volt. On his part, Ndubuisi Ekekwe developed  microchips used in minimally invasive surgical robots. Oviemo is a Nigerian medical doctor who is credited with the invention of the Emergency Auto Transfusion System (EAT-SET), which is an effective, low-cost and affordable blood auto-transfusion mechanism that saves patients in developing countries. He has patented the invention in nine (9) countries. It would be recalled that our own Cyprian EmekaUzohbagged “ the Inventor of the Year Award” in 2006 from the New York Intellectual Property Association.Credits: He holds more than 126 United States issued patents and over 160 patents worldwide in semiconductor technology including U.S. Patent No. 6709562,“method of making electroplated interconnection structures on integrated circuit chips”,  Similarly,YemiAdesokan was honored by the MIT in 2011 because of his innovative work.He was selected by expert judges of the Technology Review of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States of America for his discovery work on drug-resistant infections.

Brino Gilbert invented the Counter Collision Gadget (CCG), a device that has the capacity to prevent accidents on the road, air, sea and rail. The invention earned him many awards, including the Aerospace/Aeronautics category at the May 2003 edition of the Invention and New Product Exposition (INPEX) in the United States.

What is required is for the government to provide the enabling environment to identify and hone our talents. There should be the provision of stable electric power supply, adequate government funding of research institutes as  it happens in the UK, US, India, Cuba and Rwanda. We need sound education delivery, without the  incessant disruption of academic calendars. The capacity to articulate the inventions for the good of Nigerians will boost our economy.

source: The Sunonline

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TECHDIGEST – Union Bank Nigeria Plc has announced the call for entries into its “2021 Next Robotics Legend Programme,” which is part of the bank’s initiatives under its Edu360 umbrella meant to enhance digital learning and building the capacity of young Nigerian startups and inventors in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

Speaking on the initiative, Union Bank’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Ms. Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem, said: “Coming off a successful initial edition, Edu360 is excited to unveil the second edition of The Next Robotics Legend 2.0 programme. We are passionate about creating a sustainable future in Nigeria and aim to do this through initiatives that align with the Bank’s focus on education. By training young people in AI and Robotics, we can equip them to create innovative solutions that solve some of the biggest challenges we face as a nation, which is why we are excited to see what this year’s participants will do with the learnings from the programme.”

The entry period for the program, she said, would run from August 9 to August 23, 2021, through video submissions that would be accepted via Union Bank’s website from parents and guardians of eligible students between the ages of 11 and 16.

“Thereafter, 40 students with the most creative and passionate entries will be selected to participate in the two-week boot camp, during which they will receive a tablet with preloaded information; a MekaMon, and access to seasoned tutors for the programme duration, ”she said.

The bank explained that the programme, which was introduced in 2020, was designed to, “identify and train young inventors in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, and was developed in partnership with Awarri, a pan-African artificial technology company owned by Mr. Silas Adekunle, a top international robotics engineer who is renowned for creating the world’s first intelligent gaming robot.”

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TECH DIGEST – The management of Greensprings School has announced that the school will start offering robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to its secondary school students. This announcement came as a result of the admission of the school into the second phase of the Next Robotics Legend Program organized by Edu360.

Speaking on May 7 during the official launch of the program, the school’s Deputy Director of Education, Dr. Barney Wilson, said, “We are thrilled to have been chosen as one of the four schools that will participate in the second phase of the Next Robotics Legend Program. This program will complement the Airbus Foundation Little Engineer program that our students had a couple of years ago.”

“According to the plan, this training will run for six (6) weeks, and both our teachers and students will be trained. The organizers are also providing all the robotics toolkits, including mekamons needed for the training.

At the end of the program, robotics and AI will be fully integrated into our school curriculum, thereby making Greensprings School one of the first few schools offering robotics and AI at the secondary school level in Nigeria.
This is a very good opportunity for our students, and they are extremely happy to be part of the exciting project,” he concluded.

The Next Robotics Legend Program is an initiative of Edu360 by Union Bank. The initiative aims to integrate robotics and AI into the education of Nigerian children, and better prepare them for the workplace of the future.

The program is facilitated by Awarri – the pan-African Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, founded by the renowned Robotics Engineer, Silas Adekunle.

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