A team of young engineers from Nigeria’s Anambra State
University won first prize at the
inaugural Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Population
Challenge at the House of
Commons on Wednesday 23 November, for proposals to
deal with Nigeria’s growing food
crisis.
Turning vegetable oil into fuel,
making sea water drinkable and
starting a rail revolution in the US were also
among the proposals submitted by engineering
groups from across the world to help society cope
with an estimated population of 9.5 billion people
by 2100.
The winning report, from Anambra State
University’s Nuta Bolts engineering group,
highlighted the fact that 65% of Nigeria’s food is
currently being wasted in a country that is set to
more than double its population over the next
century. Better storage facilities, measures to stop
small-scale corruption and a revamped transport
system were all among the proposals. The ideas in the
report will be presented to the Rio+20 Earth
Summit next June.
The final was held in the Grand Committee Room
in the House of Commons, and, six MPs including
Bob Smith MP, Andrew Mitchell MP, the Secretary
of State for International Development and Roger
Williams MP, came to hear the presentations,
while Chris White MP and Mark Spencer MP joined
the winning team members for dinner at One
Birdcage Walk.
Onyenanu Ifeanyicitukusu, Team Leader of the
Nuta Bolts, said:
“Food security is the most important issue facing
Nigeria, with so much food being needlessly
wasted. Yet the technology and the means to stop
this waste already exist.
“We are very happy to have won this challenge,
having spent sleepless nights over the past six
months writing this report. We will now go back to
Nigeria to present it to the Government.”
Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:
“Coping with the world’s population boom over
the rest of this century will be the biggest
challenge facing society, touching every area of
our lives from energy and water supply to
transport and the food we eat.
“We will all rely on the next generation of
engineers to come up with the solutions needed to
meet the coming population crisis, which is why it
is so encouraging to see such solid ideas and
original thinking from the young engineers that
took part in this challenge.”
Chief Executive, Stephen Tetlow, said: “All the
competitors brought a huge amount of intellectual
rigour to their reports and delivered great
presentations. I advise all the finalists not to stop
working on this topic, because it is the most
important challenge for humanity. As engineers,
we must organize ourselves to deliver the
technical solutions required, and work with
politicians who have the wherewithal to unlock the
problem.”
The five Population Challenge finalists were:
Nuta Bolts (Nigeria) – Food Production in
Nigeria
As much as 65% of food crops and fruit
produced in Nigeria is wasted due to poor
storage facilities. The construction of silos,
cold rooms and ovens, as well as improving
transport networks would reduce this
needless wastage.
Arup (China) – Balance Between Water
Supply & Demand in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s population is still reliant on
rainwater piped in from Guangdong Province,
which is fast becoming the world’s industrial
powerhouse. Yet as the population of the
Province booms, Hong Kong may need to
look to reverse osmosis to make seawater
drinkable and waste water recycling to keep
its growing population watered.
Green Engineering (Trinidad & Tobago) –
Renewable Energy
With Trinidad & Tobago’s oil and gas reserves
set to run out within the next ten years,
biodiesel created from waste vegetable oil
could be one alternative fuel that keeps the
island group powered.
Engineering Nigeria (Nigeria) – Energy
Solution for Nigeria
Lack of access to power is one of the biggest
obstacles in the way of Nigeria’s development
into a fully industrialised, prosperous nation,
yet over half of the natural gas produced by
the country’s booming oil industry is ‘flared’,
or burnt away. In a country whose
population is set to more than double by
2100, capturing this valuable resource is just
one of many ways to make sure the nation
gets the power it needs to move forward.
Atkins (USA) – Transport Integration in
the USA
The USA’s current transport model of high car
use and domestic air travel is unsustainable,
due to both environmental concerns and rising fuel prices.
Atkins proposed that Maglev and High
Speed Rail schemes needs to be urgently implemented for
long-distance journeys, while cycle
schemes and improved bus services need to be put in
place for short distances.
www.imeche.org/news/archives/11-11-24/Nigerian_engineers_win_global_Population_Challenge.aspx

wow, these students have something in them. check this www.nutabolts.org

Giant stride of Anambrans