…Emerges winner, gets cash price of N.5 m

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Ondo Boys High School, Ondo town, in Ondo state, has developed a steam electric power generator, using locally available materials to emerge as the winner of the 2022 edition of the U-STEM UNIMED Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics competition for senior secondary schools.

A cash price of N500,000, was won by the school for the innovation.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, said the contest, was organised by the institution to enhance youth capacity for innovation and societal development.

Fatusi, added that the programme provides seed funds to senior secondary school students in ondo to use locally available materials to develop innovative products for the Nigerian population.

He added that it was also “to drive a responsibility to raise the consciousness of science to impart and have a responsibility to ensure that younger people are been supported along in part of their dream to promote the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among the young generation.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Mr Lola Amuda, described the programme as one of the cooperate social responsibilities of the University to the community.

Amuda, who was represented by the zonal officer, Mr Bunmi Ilori added that the programme would improve the students in all ramification and also contribute to the growth of education from the grassroots in this kingdom.

Speaking on career opportunities, a professor in Audiology, Prof. Dele Owolawi, described Audiology as a discipline that focuses on the study of normal hearing and hearing disorders.

Owolawi, added that it is also a healthcare profession devoted to hearing identification, assessment, treatment/rehabilitation, prevention, and the effects of hearing loss on related communication disorders.

According to him, people lose their hearing at different stages of life due to several factors. Progressive hereditary e.g otosclerosis, some syndromes e.g exposure to constant high decibel noise, measles, meningitis, cerebral malaria, and some powerful antibiotics among others.

He further said that in Nigeria, UNIMED is the pioneer institution to conceive and anchor the training programme of Audiology and speech-language therapy and the University Vice Chancellor that brought Audiology to Nigeria.

The Director of the phytomedicine, Dr Oghale Godwin, encouraged the students to develop an interest and pursue a degree in herbal medicine to help Nigeria in the global herbal medicine market.

Godwin noted that herbal medicine is a field of science that has not been fully harnessed in Nigeria as it is in India, China, Bangladesh, Japan and other countries of the world that embrace herbal medicine practice.

Godwin stated that in Nigeria, among different tribal groups, indigenous plants are consumed as food or remedies to treat human and animal diseases. The value of medicinal plants has grown especially when now that the world is turning to plant sources for drugs, supplements and herbal preparations to manage human health.

Also, the Director institute of health humanities and entrepreneurship at UNIMED, Dr Iheanacho Metuonu, said the purpose of the presentation is to educate the students on the essence of entrepreneurship/ health humanities process and diversification in medical science.

According to him, due to the uncertainty of life and unavailability of jobs even in the healthcare market, studies have revealed the competitive nature of work and therefore the need for diversification.