The Federal Government has granted the sum of N5 million to students of the Marist College, Yangoji Abuja, for inventing the Sensebox and Aquabotdevices, both of which are monitoring devices for air and water pollution.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu made the presentation to the students in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said with the feat achieved by the students, the country was well positioned to become a hub for creativity that would meet all its needs, rely less on import and create wealth for the country and the people.
A high impressed Onu said his ministry would patent the key innovation through one of its agencies, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), promising the patenting would come at no cost to the school.
He appealed to parents to motivate their children and ensure they inculcate values of hard work, respect and commitment which he described as the foundation of every child.
The minister urged the students to fly the Nigerian flag high at the upcoming virtual Students for Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) competition on August 13, 2021.
Earlier, the president/CEO of the research team for Aquabot,MabochaSharon who is an SS3 student of Marist College said they were seeking the support of the ministry to patent their innovation.
She also solicited financial support to help develop their innovation and build a science laboratory that would benefit other students.
