How Africa News
Two Nigerian students, Eyenimi Ndimou and Ify Aniebo, have been shortlisted for the prestigious award to find London’s most innovative international student.
The International Student Innovation Awards which was set up to highlight the work of international students in the United Kingdom, and also to provide students with some financial assistance to take their innovation to the next stage of development, received hundreds of entries from 49 different countries this year and 17 London universities; the entries which already been whittled down to a final shortlist has two Nigerian students in the lead.
Eyenimi Ndimou, a student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has created a mobile app that diagnoses birth asphyxia by listening out for a certain frequency in a baby’s cry. The app allows for a swift detection of asphyxia in babies, and consequently, a prompt referral for a potentially lifesaving treatment.
Ify Aniebo, also a student of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, designed a malaria-detecting mobile app which transforms any mobile phone with a camera into a microscope. The app, which detects malaria from blood samples, also indicates the type of malaria and prescribes possible courses of treatment.
Both apps have been shortlisted as part of the Mayor of London’s International Student Innovation Awards 2016, placing the Nigerian innovators at the forefront of innovations in London universities. Ndimou said the award would mean “that my team and I are one step closer to realising our dream of saving millions of new-born lives in Nigeria and many other developing countries.”
“The incredible range of talent on show in these awards celebrates the best of the capital and clearly demonstrates that London is open to talent and ideas from across the globe. We need to do all we can to ensure that London remains the best and most welcoming destination for international students,” Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London said.
The International Student Innovation Awards was set up to highlight the work of international students in the United Kingdom, and also to provide students with some financial assistance to take their innovation to the next stage of development.
Lord Karan Bilimoria said the initiative celebrates London’s best while demonstrating the city’s inclusiveness. “London’s universities are among the very best in the world… it is vital that we offer [those] students the very best opportunities to make an impact in their chosen field,” he said.
The International Student Innovation Awards has received hundreds of entries from 49 different countries and 17 London universities, which have been whittled down to a final shortlist with two Nigerian students in the lead. On Wednesday, November 2nd, the crowning of ‘London’s most innovative international student’ will take place at Central Saint Martins, Granary Square, where the winner will receive the sum of £10,000 to kick-start their business.
According to Eileen Burbidge, partner at London venture capital firm, Passion Capital, “London’s world-leading universities are bursting with some of the brightest minds who are developing businesses which will revolutionise our lives. Students coming to London from all over the world bring fresh ideas and thinking, and their talent should be nurtured and encouraged as they seek to build the next generation of global companies.”
With over 100,000 international students from over 200 different nations, London is one of the most welcoming cities in the world for international students.
