As we at Keobi Restaurant, the first and only Nigerian restaurant in the Albany, New York, join in the celebration of Black History Month, we would like to showcase the achievements of a few of our fellow Nigerians that have exceled through innovations and inventions, that have impacted the world. Nigeria, a name that may strike a different chord to many around in the heart of some around the world, has actually produced quite a lot of transforming innovators in arts, science, technology, and medicine.
Here is a few list of Nigerian innovators:
Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu
You probably didn’t know that a Nigerian was involved in the development of one of the vaccines that is currently saving the world.
Now you know!
Onyema Ogbuagu, MBBCh, is an infectious diseases specialist who cares for patients who are affected by or at risk for HIV/AIDS, and directs Yale AIDS Program HIV clinical trials research. He also provides care for COVID-19 patients and leads Yale’s clinical studies around COVID-19.
Dr. Ogbuagu was drawn to infectious diseases by the intellectual challenges. He credited his love and passion for medicine to his Nigerian root. He said, “I trained in Nigeria, where you see lot of disease and suffering and late presentations, and you are working in a resource-limited space where you feel that if things were better, people would survive.”
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-55040436 (Pidging English)
Dr Philip Emeagwali
Dr Philip Emeagwali is a computer scientist who was born in Nigeria but studied Mathematics and marine engineering the US. Dr Emeagwali designed the program for the fastest computer on earth which was made up of over 60,000 widely distributed microprocessors and ran more than 3.1 billion calculations per second! He won various prestigious awards for the high-performance computing applications which also helps in oil reservoir modeling calculations.
Jelani Aliyu
Jelani Aliyu is a Nigerian automotive designer who worked for the American car company General Motors. He was a senior creative designer at GM
Col. Oviemo Ovadje (Rtd.)
Col. 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.
Kunle Olukotun
He is well known for leading the Stanford Hydra research project which developed one of the first chip multiprocessors with support for thread-level speculation (TLS).
Sebastine Chinonye Omeh
Mr Omeh is best known for his research into the use of wind-propelled turbines to generate electricity. His journey began due to his challenge by the energy crisis in Nigeria, and the need to develop indigenous technology. He conducted research into the use of wind-propelled turbines to generate electricity, thereby pioneering wind energy technology in Nigeria.
Shehu Saleh Balami
Mr. Balami is an engineer who is well known for designing a solid-fuel rocket. A graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State, Mr. Balami has produced two solid fuel rockets which were launched along the new Kaduna Millennium City Road in Kaduna State.
Ume Ifeanyi Charles
Mr. Charles is known for his five (5) important inventions all of which were patented at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These inventions are useful in the various electrical industries.
Mohammed Bah Abbah
Mr. Abbah developed a refrigerating device that does not use electricity which would be helpful to people in rural areas. He developed a pot-in-pot refrigerator by combining the knowledge he had gained from his grandmother’s craft of traditional pottery with simple laws of physics.
Samuel Achilefu
Samuel is a Nigerian-born Scientist and medical researcher who has pioneered both fundamental and applied research in science, engineering, and medicine. He contributed to the United States health sector by inventing the development and use of light-sensitive drugs for cancer detection, imaging, and therapy. He also developed a unique wearable cancer viewing goggles for the accurate removal of cancer cells during surgery.
Jessica O. Matthews
Ms. Matthews, a Nigerian-American inventor and a dual citizen of the United States, graduated from the Harvard College and Harvard business school. She also contributed to the electricity power supply in the United States by establishing Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator.
Finally
Stop by for a #TasteofAfrica if you live in or near Albany, New York. If you’re visiting the Capital District of New York, make #keobirestaurant your only destination for all your African foods. Look for us on the lively and historic Lark Street in Albany. We are becoming one of the topmost ethnic restaurants in Upstate NY and we are sure you’d find a variety of menu items that’d make your stay worthwhile.
African Nigerian Foods $10 and Under