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Hello, Stephen. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with Swagg News Africa. So, please start by telling our readers about yourself. What age are you and where are you from?
I am 30 years of age and I am Nigerian. I have spent most of my life in Nigeria- Jos, Plateau State to be precise. I have stayed in places like Keffi, Abuja, Lagos, Ogbomoso and Kaduna but have spent most of my life in the North central part of Nigeria.
Did you attend school?...
Yes, I did attend school. I am a high school graduate and I did science in high school, which is where I got my passion from.
I call it the 'Clean Hybrid Electric Device’ and what makes it unique is this:-
i. it’s a device that only requires 4 volts rechargeable battery to generate any amount of energy you desire
ii. it does not require any storage device i.e. batteries to store it’s power
iii. it has the ability to generate both direct current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) from the same device
iv. it has the ability to generate electricity at anytime, in any location, without the need for refuelling or recharging.
v. it weans the energy industry off fossil fuel thereby reducing its hazardous by-products by 80-90%, fixing the limitation of other renewable energy and enabling the consumer market to save a minimum of 60% from all energy and transportation bills.
***I have a WORKING PROTOTYPE which generates up to 150voltage DC(direct current) and 3.8 amps DC and 15 amps AC (alternating current). This is why the device is called 'hybrid' - because it generates both AC and DC at the same time from the same device.
What is it about science that interests you?
Chemistry is really what made my passion for science grow. Actually, I never knew one had to study to make good grades. It was my love of chemistry that helped me discover that. I was 16 years of age at that time and I wish I had known it sooner. If I had been better in school and gained a better understanding of subjects, I would have gotten further than where I am today. I actually spent 8 years in high school instead of 6 – I repeated my first and second years. But I don't regret it, as that's how I discovered what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I am glad. I embrace my passion and allow it to drive me every day. My daily dreams are to know much about God and to succeed in my ambitions.
Did you also teach yourself?
I fell in love with chemistry, which actually became my best subject in high school. But I later taught myself much of the physics and electronics that I am employing in my invention, and ended up developing more of a passion for physics than chemistry after I graduated. I love learning; learning is one of the best ways to acquire knowledge. I love to read a lot and spend most of my private time meditating about my passion.
What inspired you to start inventing?
I think my passion and desire for knowledge was what actually inspired me to start inventing. At the age of 14 I developed a desire to invent paper toys for kids like me, who were not privileged to have toys to play with. In those days toys were expensive and not everyone could lay their hands on them, so I wanted to invent paper ones. I tried my best but never did manage to. Today I am working on something greater than that...
When I was 18 I was in my final year in high school and was preparing for final exams, which are mostly known as WAEC. Having written all my papers that year, I felt the joy of fulfilment. But a friend of mine walked into my house the next morning and said, "I heard it on the radio that some of our written papers were canceled and we have to rewrite some!" This included four of my written papers. I was so depressed and didn't really know what to do. After a few days, I summoned the motivation to start preparing for the exams which had to be rewritten. I remember I said a prayer; "Lord, only you know the reason for this cancelation and I shall let your purpose be unveiled in due season".
A few days after saying the prayer I picked up my books to read, starting with my best subject, which was chemistry. I opened up to begin revision from the very beginning of the book, which talked about the atom. Suddenly I recalled a passage from the bible; “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding (Job 32:8)”.
God spoke to me. He said, "son, have you ever read about the atom all this while? Have you ever read about the foundation or the formation of the atom? The Bible said God created the Heavens and the Earth, and therefore everything that is in Heaven and Earth must have a foundation of a formation. Therefore an atom cannot be an exception".
I totally agreed with Him and I said a simple prayer; “Dear Lord God, I want to make this my personal project in life, help me to make this a reality in Jesus name, Amen”.
This encounter was actually the birth of my destiny. My initial passion was not in energy, but in discovering the foundation of formation of an atom. I do believe that it's going to help bring enlightenment and understanding to some of the mysteries in science.
Two years after that, I was in church and had this encounter from the prophecy of my Pastor (Pastor Abel Dingamaji of the Living Faith Church) which was, "what so ever take people 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years to achieve within 6 days the Lord will make it known to you". And I said Amen. And the key thing which I tied that to was my personal research on the foundation or formation of the atom.
On the fifth day of that same week, I was in the office where I used to work with my cousin opposite the University of Jos, and the Spirit of God directed my eyes to the fossil fuel generator we make use of in the office, and He asked me a question; "with all I have given to you can you produce and improve this"? I waited for a while and said, "yes I can". Right from that movement I begin to receive revelation knowledge on how to produce a clean energy generator which will wean society off fossil fuel and help our environment and individuals. This revelation took 3 days of non-disconnection. Even when I was working, eating and reading, I kept seeing the assembling of the machine to be built. After three days the revelation stopped and I begin to sketch all that I saw down. I went to approach my mom about it and she advise me to go talk to my Pastor - the one who made the prophetic declaration that had come to a reality in my life. I went to talk to him about it and he was amazed. He held my hands and prayed for grace and knowledge on how to go about it.
So I think this is what actually inspired me to start inventing! I am working on this invention right now, and within this period of my research and prototyping I wrote 3 guiding principles which are my coordinates to what am inventing. These are:-
1. The force of attraction and that of repulsion are equal and opposite irrespective of the product of masses; this has the ability to displace another magnetic body from its position of rest to another within a period of time.
2. The rate of change of displacement is proportional to the acting force per time
3. If two or more magnets are separated by a distance apart at the point where there is no more displacement of bodies a potential force at its maximum is formed.
Why are you interested in renewable energy?
Actually the truth is this: until knowledge is converted into a solution/a product that will add value or virtues to others, it cannot be appreciated and celebrated. And I think this is the one of the major reasons why countries and companies invest funding into Research and Development (R&D). I gained an interest in renewable energy, not because it’s one of the world's major needs or because of the market or opportunities in it, but because my passion is deeply rooted in converting my inspiration, knowledge, meditation & creativity into something that will add value to humanity, and provide a solution to our needs! Also its a practical demonstration of my research and findings of my personal project ‘knowing much about the foundation of the formation of an atom’.
What do you hope to achieve with your invention?
What I actually desire to achieve with my invention is to wean the energy industry off fossil fuel, thereby reducing hazardous by-products by 80-90%, fix the limitation of other renewable energy and enable the consumer market to save a minimum of 60% from all energy and transportation bills.
I read recently that 1.7 million children a year die from pollution. 1 in 4 deaths of under 5’s are caused by factors such as air pollution from the human built environment. Green energy and inventions such as mine are part of the solution to this, especially in Africa and the so-called developing world.
Do you have other inventions you are working on?
Yeah I do. I am working towards building the first ever automobile powered by just a 4 volt battery; you can travel with it anywhere you desire without having to think about refuelling or recharging. And what makes this unique is its clean - So, no pollution and it does not require a large storage device (i.e. batteries. It needs only a 4 volt battery.)
How easy do you find it to obtain the equipment you need?
Most of the time it’s kind of difficult to obtain equipment because of importation and funding. Here in Nigeria we don’t really have institutions where inventors are funded. Instead, we have people who want to exploit and pirate your inventions! So most of the time you have to save to be able to obtain those things that are needed for you to move forward with research and development.
I remember some years ago...not once, not twice, but countless times...I had to donate blood to raise N1500 (one thousand five hundred Naira) so I could buy books. But nowadays I go hungry most of the time for the same reasons, and so I can afford data for internet browsing and online research.
So its extremely difficult to obtain and maintain the speed of your Research and Development here in Nigeria.
Would you like to have your own laboratory?
Yes, I would really love to. I’d love to work along with a group of scientists, product design engineers and passionate entrepreneurs from around the globe, all with a common goal of weaning the energy industry off fossil.
How much more could you achieve if you were given a grant or another form of investment?
I would be able to build a laboratory, build a team to work with, develop alpha and beta prototyping of products and find customers. And crucially I would be able to get my invention patented and protected. In the Research & Development field there is a risk in disclosing a discovery or invention before it has been patented. One must be vague in any discussion (however casual) and in any written paper or presentation.But one cannot afford to be vague when seeking investment and collaboration from a company who will develop and commercialise an invention. Therefore one must have the patent first so that all information can be disclosed. Partnering with a company is the best route for an individual inventor.
But getting a patent is expensive and time consuming and in Nigeria there is no financial help or guidance. In Europe and America official organisations will guide and advise you. There are R&D tax credits, grants, innovation vouchers, EU funding & support programmes. In my country we do not have this type of established supportive framework. And because of the fast moving nature of the technology industry and the time essential nature of green technology innovation, delays are potentially devastating.
What are your long term dreams and aspirations?
My dreams and aspirations are :
i. Wean the energy industry off fossil fuel
ii. Build a company that will serve this purpose
iii. Help others great inventors around the globe by building an environment like Google where they can maximise their potentials and fund their passion to add value to life.
iv. Educate young entrepreneurs in Africa about how to transform their dreams (knowing what it takes to build a start up that will command global attention)
v. Create employment
vi. Build other companies in the areas which I am passionate about
What are the challenges that you have with your invention in Nigeria?
I think first of all, finding the right people to team up with is the greatest challenge. Secondly, raising funds through investors or a grant, and protecting my invention from the wrong people who are waiting for the breakthrough so they can pirate it.
What added features will your invention have?
It will provide security to users; once you purchase any of our products with a mobile app you can control it and shut it down if it is stolen. You can locate it and recover it. It will also provide internet service for users who are travelling to places with no internet service.
Where do you want to be in 5 years from now?
Well actually I want to be in Silicon Valley in the U.S, building my company and running it. I will be the CEO and I will drive it forward to become a Fortune 500 Company.
What are your core life values?
- Openness and transparency
- Truthfulness
- Respect and integrity
- Compassion and accountability
- Honouring God
- Helping others to discover and attain their greatness in life
- Working with great people with a passion to make the world a better place
- Celebrating difference and empowerment
How long have you been working on this invention?
Next month will mark the 12th year that I have been working on my passion project!
What company or persons do you dream of gaining attention and/or investment from, in Nigeria?
One is Dr. Sunny, whom I met last year in Kaduna. Another is SwaGG News Africa, who I want to help by publishing this article about my work, hopefully getting it seen by an investor and a grant agency! The majority of other people I have dealt with actually want to covert the invention, or pirate it for their own benefit.
How many people could your invention create job opportunities for?
For the laboratory, I believe at around 5 years of existence, it should have between 500-1000 employees around the globe. But I want to believe that millions out there will use our products to create jobs and employment for themselves.
Thank you once again, Stephen. You are a remarkable and inspirational man. We pray that you achieve your dreams, and wish you the very best of luck in everything you do.
Thank you very much and you're welcome. I work on my invention every day and have been trying daily to gain investment and funding to help me move to the next stage. I hope that having this interview published will help me to achieve this. I want the African governments to see the need for establishing a funding and support framework, to help great minds in Africa achieve their dream.
If you want to help make Africa greener and help Stephen achieve his dream, you can donate to his GoFundMe page by clicking here:(STEPHEN GoFundMe DONATION PAGE)
Here are some Videos:-
Interviewed by Jennifer Menzies and Ambassador Prosper Egeonu for SwaGG News Africa.
Posted by @pocarlee
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