OAU Engineering Students Develop Innovations for Oil Pollution, Dialysis and Rural Agriculture
Three student teams received ₦1 million in combined prizes from Moniepoint and the Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation for engineering projects addressing environmental pollution, healthcare access and post-harvest losses.
Final-year Mechanical Engineering students at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have developed three practical engineering innovations targeting challenges in Nigeria's agriculture, healthcare and environmental sectors.
The projects, which include an electricity-free water purification system for oil-spill-contaminated water, an affordable dialysis membrane mechanism and a solar-powered mobile refrigerator, earned the students a combined ₦1 million in prizes from Moniepoint and the Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation.
The awards followed the Department of Mechanical Engineering's final-year project exhibition, where 12 student teams presented solutions designed to address real-world problems.
The winning projects were assessed based on originality, engineering design, innovation, practicality and their potential contribution to national development.
Three Engineering Projects Address Real-World Challenges
The first-place team developed EcoRide, a 12V DC solar-powered mobile refrigerator designed to transport perishable goods and agricultural produce to rural communities with limited access to affordable refrigeration.
The project targets post-harvest losses, a persistent challenge for farmers and rural traders who often struggle to preserve fresh produce because of inadequate cold-storage facilities and unreliable electricity.
By combining solar power with mobile refrigeration, the team aims to provide an alternative for transporting perishable products while reducing dependence on conventional electricity.
The project received the first-place prize of ₦500,000.
The first runner-up developed a biomimetic high-flux dialysis membrane mechanism aimed at exploring more affordable kidney treatment options for rural communities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dialysis requires specialised equipment and infrastructure, making access and affordability major challenges for many patients.
The students' engineering concept focuses on membrane technology and improved fluid dynamics as part of efforts to explore more accessible treatment mechanisms.
The team received ₦300,000 for the innovation.
The third project focused on environmental sustainability. The students designed a gravity-fed water purification system intended to treat water contaminated by oil spills in the Niger Delta and other affected communities.
Unlike conventional systems that depend on electricity, the proposed design uses gravity to move water through the purification process.
The innovation could offer an alternative for communities dealing with water contamination and unreliable power supply, although its treatment effectiveness and suitability for large-scale deployment will require further testing.
The team received ₦200,000.
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Moniepoint and Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation Support Student Innovation
The awards form part of efforts by Moniepoint and the Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation to encourage young Nigerians to develop practical solutions to national challenges.
Speaking at the event, Edidiong Uwemakpan, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Moniepoint Group, said young people's skills and creativity would play an important role in Nigeria's economic development.
He noted that the students had demonstrated how engineering ideas could be applied to problems affecting communities.
Adam Muritala, Head of OAU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, also described the exhibition as an opportunity to connect academic research with industry and encouraged stakeholders to support promising ideas while students are still in the university system.
The exhibition also welcomed students from 10 secondary schools, exposing younger learners to engineering research and practical problem-solving.
Building a Stronger Innovation Environment at OAU
The awards build on earlier investments by the Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation and Moniepoint in engineering education at OAU.
In 2024, the foundation invested more than ₦100 million in renovating and equipping the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering laboratory, now named the Tosin Eniolorinda CAD/CAM Laboratory.
In 2026, Moniepoint Group and the foundation also launched a ₦3 billion innovation hub initiative across OAU, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Ahmadu Bello University.
The initiative is intended to strengthen technology talent development and innovation capacity within the participating institutions.
These investments highlight the importance of giving university students access to laboratories, mentorship, funding and industry partnerships that can help turn academic research into practical solutions.
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From University Projects to Solutions for Nigeria
The OAU projects demonstrate how engineering students can apply classroom knowledge to challenges affecting everyday life.
From helping farmers preserve produce to exploring more affordable dialysis technology and addressing contaminated water, the innovations reflect the potential of university research to contribute to national development.
However, the projects are still at the development stage. Further testing, technical validation, funding and partnerships with relevant industries and institutions will be important before they can be deployed at scale.
For Nigeria's innovation ecosystem, supporting young engineers beyond graduation could help transform promising student projects into solutions that serve communities and create economic opportunities.