Youth showcase innovations at Ticad event

JKUAT VC Mabel Imbuga and Association of African Economy and Development President Tetsuro Yano after the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Sh350 million instant noodles factory on Aug 26, 2016. PHOTO | MARY WAMBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The factory is a product of JKUAT's partnership with a Japan instant noodles manufacturing company, Nassin Foods Holdings Limited.
  • JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof Mabel Imbuga said the exhibition shows that the continent has innovative people.

African and Japanese youth showcased different innovations geared towards providing solutions to challenges facing Africa.

The 32 youth participated in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad) side event held Friday at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT).

The event dubbed Young African and Nihonjin Innovators Expo (YANIE), saw youths drawn from Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana exhibit innovations to showcase lasting solutions to food insecurity, lack of electricity, waste management and inadequate exploitation of available resources.

Association of African Economy and Development (AFRECO) President Tetsuro Yano called on the industrialists to fund such innovations exhibited to enable their commercialisation.

"I am very impressed and happy to see the many young travel long distances to demonstrate their innovations and share ideas for the future of Africa," said Mr Yano.

JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof Mabel Imbuga said the exhibition shows that the continent has innovative people.

"This event gives the youth the much needed opportunity to shape the future of Africa. I hope that our industry partners will provide the much desired role of mentoring these and many other youths to move the ideas to the next level," said he said.

Earlier, a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a noodles factory was held at the university's grounds.

The factory is a product of JKUAT's partnership with a Japan instant noodles manufacturing company, Nassin Foods Holdings Limited.

"It is through the partnership that we established a private company, JKUAT Nissin Foods Limited,” said Prof Imbuga.

The factory is expected to be operational by December 2017 with a capacity to produce 150 packets of noodles per minute.