Since independence, the need to encourage and invest in local technological innovation has remained. Nigeria aimed to join the ranks of developed nations by the year 2000. It did not. While many inventors reached ministerial and presidential levels, few received the support required to build careers in technology. Most disappeared from public view. Without the media reports that briefly covered them, they would have remained unnamed, like the local manufacturers of weapons during the civil war. Some of these stories survived only because newsrooms wrote them and archivi.ng, a media platform, digitised the old records. 1. Robot Receptionist (1971) Mudashiru Ayeni, known as Muda, was a 20-year-old secondary school student when he invented the Mudagraph, also called the Receptograph. It was a battery-powered robot receptionist that could answer calls and inform visitors if the boss was available. He was labelled mad, though it remains unclear whether it was because of the invention or his request for an interview with Head of State Yakubu Gowon. The interview reportedly served to prove he was not mentally unstable. Letters he wrote to school authorities led to psychiatric evaluation and his exit from school. Aminu Kano, Nigeria's Minister of Communications at the time, granted him an audience and offered encouragement. Businessmen also made promises, but no records of what followed. 2. Hydrogen Car Engine (2001) Seyi Osundahunsi, a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, invented a hydrogen and oxygen-powered car engine based on hydroxylation. He secured a patent, aiming to build Nigeria’s first hydrogen-powered car. He accused the National Automotive Council of ignoring his letters. Only Toyota responded to his letter, saying a similar claim earlier had turned out to be false. Osundahunsi sent his designs to automobile firms in Germany and the UK, determined to see the engine produced en masse. Its current status is unknown. 3. Fire Extinguisher (1982) Adewumi Owolabi, a 30-year-old who studied automobile engineering at Igbo-Ore Technical College, developed a vehicle-type fire extinguisher using an infrared fire sensor. He also created a battery-operated kitchen fire safety cabinet that could automatically prevent outbreaks. Other inventions included a ball-joint extractor, a vehicle battery lifeguard, and a “weekend” toothbrush. He claimed to have written over 25,000 letters to individuals and organisations. Like Osundahunsi, he said many wanted credit without offering support. 4. Anti-Theft Device (1991) Kenneth Ettoh, a 1987 graduate of Yaba College of Technology, developed an anti-theft device that could alert police and electrocute intruders targeting transmission infrastructure. It was exhibited during National Engineering Week in Lagos and attracted the attention of Olusegun Obasanjo, a former head of state. Ettoh reportedly lost his job while pursuing a patent. His invention was recognised as one of Nigeria’s outstanding inventions of 1990. 5. Sickle Cell Treatment Orin Ata' (1990) Professor Fafowora of Obafemi Awolowo University was reported to have developed 'Orin Ata' as a treatment for sickle cell disease. There was no record of institutional backing. In the early 1990s, the mortality rate for children with sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa were estimated between 50% and 90% before age five. Despite this context, support did not follow. 6. Uninterruptible Power Supply (2005) Babalola Joshua, a student of Yaba College of Technology, presented a 2.5-kilowatt uninterruptible power supply at the first Lagos Science Festival. It was one of the major attractions. He also built a 36-volt battery charger capable of charging twelve batteries under five hours. 7. Neighbourhood Security Monitor (2005) Mumuni Adekunle, an SS3 student at Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, invented the Neighbourhood Security Monitor. It included a shadow detector, heat detector, and gate alarm. The shadow detector identified intruders and smoke. The gate alarm alerted neighbours if forced entry was attempted. The heat detector responded to fire outbreaks. 8. EAT-SET Blood Transfusion Device (1995) Lt. Col. Oviemo Ovadje, a military doctor and graduate of the University of Benin, developed the Emergency Automated Transfusion Service (EAT-SET). He worked on it for over eight years to reduce risks associated with manual blood transfusion. The device was recognised by the military government under Ibrahim Babangida and acknowledged internationally by the World Health Organization, with support from a UN programme. He received a grant of $158,700 and undertook an international tour. His work was documented publicly. 9. Arthritis Cream (2006) Dr. Jonathan Obaje, a Kogi State-born Nigerian chemist based in Singapore, developed 'Urah Cream' for arthritis treatment. It was manufactured in Singapore and distributed in Nigeria. 10. HIV/AIDS Vaccine claim (2000) Dr. Jeremiah Abalaka claimed to have developed a vaccine for HIV/AIDS at a time when the disease had high mortality rates globally. After reporting successful trials, the government banned the production of HIV/AIDS vaccines locally. The decision sparked public reaction. Some citizens wrote in support, including a man who claimed his brother had been cured without side effects. Then Vice President Atiku Abubakar stated that the vaccine could cause harm. Abalaka refused to submit the vaccine for further investigation. Reports said he faced ridicule, threats, and regulatory opposition. Critics argued that verification processes were necessary. Supporters claimed political motives and professional rivalry were at play. Other inventions included Nigeria’s first indigenous four-wheel vehicle produced by The Projects Development Institute (PRODA), under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. There were also reports of a local pistol manufacturer in Imo State, who was later arrested. These accounts show inventors who surfaced briefly in national discourse, sought recognition, and then faded. Their records remain, preserved in archives, as fragments of a technological history that never fully unfolded.
