Nigerian scientist wins $100,000 prize for saving newborns
The advisory board of the Nigeria Prize for Science announced on Thursday that Prof. Hippolite Amadi’s project on ‘Respiratory Technologies for Keeping Nigerian New-Born Babies Alive’ had won the 2023 edition, earning him the prestigious $100,000 prize from Nigeria LNG Ltd. (NLNG).
The announcement was made by Prof. Barth Nnaji, the Chairperson of the Advisory Board, during a press conference organized by NLNG in Lagos.
The judges’ decision was based on the 2023 theme, “Innovation for Enhancement of Healthcare Therapy.”
Nnaji highlighted that Amadi’s work had not only significantly advanced neonatal care in Nigeria but also improved access and reduced the cost of neonatal care by lowering the market prices of existing devices.
“The entry showcased three technological innovations aimed at saving the lives of neonates by making the delivery of oxygen cheap and easy.
“The first innovation is the non-invasive Neonatal Ventilator, a key invention, the Bubble Polite for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilation of very low-birth-weight neonates.
“This is a feasible alternative to the readily available Improvised Bubble CPAP (IBCPAP) in cost-constrained settings,” he said.
Nnaji said the second innovation was the Oxygen Delivery Blender System, which allowed safe delivery of oxygen without the danger of toxicity.
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The professor said the third one was the Oxygen Splitter System, which allowed the use of a shared source of oxygen to many neonates at a time, in situations where piped oxygen was not available.
He added that the devices were powered by solar energy.
Nnaji emphasized that these devices had been successfully tested in various hospitals across Nigeria.
Practitioners reported that the PoliteCPAP innovation improved access to ventilators and oxygen delivery simultaneously, at a significantly reduced cost of N750,000 compared to the existing device, which cost N6.5 million, while maintaining comparable and even better efficiency.
Nnaji said Amadi was a visiting professor of Medical Engineering and Technology at Imperial College London with a special interest in the development of affordable medical systems.
He said prior to his work at Imperial College, Amadi was a professor of Medical Technology at Imo State University.
Nnaji added that his career spanned three decades, cutting across engineering in healthcare, orthopaedics and neonatology research.
In his speech, Mr Andy Odeh, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, said the decision of the judges was a testament to the power of collaboration between the private sector, academia and the broader scientific community.
He noted that the outcome emphasised the need for collective responsibility to nurture and support innovative solutions capable of transforming the country.
Odeh added that it aligned with NLNG’s vision of “helping to build a better Nigeria” where ground-breaking ideas flourished, and every life was valued and protected.
“We are honoured and deeply moved by the judges’ decision to recognise the ground-breaking innovation in respiratory technology that has been awarded the Nigeria Prize for Science in 2023.
“This invention not only represents a remarkable leap forward in medical science but also serves as a beacon of hope for the most vulnerable among us, our neonates.
“It reminds us that true progress is measured not only in scientific achievement but in the lives it touches and saves,” Odeh said.
He said today they celebrate the impact that innovation could have in enhancing healthcare therapy and safeguarding the futures of countless newborns.
Odeh said one of NLNG’s mission was to be part of a legacy that put saving lives at the forefront of scientific pursuit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision on the winning entry was reached by a panel of judges, led by Joseph Ahaneku, a Professor of Chemical Pathology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
Other panel members include: Olaitan Alice Soyannwo, a professor of Anaesthesia at the University of Ibadan and Abdullahi Abba, a Professor of Medicine and Pulmonology at Ahmadu Bello University.
On the prize’s Advisory Board, in addition to Nnaji, are Chief Dr Nike Akande, a two-time minister and former President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Yusuf Abubakar, a professor of Animal Breeding and Quantitative Genetics.
