A 200-level Electrical Engineering student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Nura Idris, has emerged winner of the BUK Students Innovation Challenge 2026, clinching a cash prize of N300,000 for his electricity solution project, Vertical Energy.
The competition, organised by the university’s Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnership (DRIP), was part of activities marking the institution’s maiden National Conference and Exhibition on Research and Development.
Idris defeated 11 other contestants with his innovation aimed at addressing Nigeria’s persistent power challenges.
Speaking after receiving the award, he said the project was inspired by the hardships caused by inadequate electricity supply.
“What inspired me is seeing people suffer because of electricity shortages. Students struggle to study without power, communities sleep in darkness, and businesses are crippled. This motivated me to develop a solution,” he said.
BUK Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Haruna Musa, said the university was committed to promoting research that leads to commercially viable products rather than academic publications alone.
“This conference is meant to bring government, industry partners, and academia together to translate research into meaningful commercial products,” he said.
Also speaking, Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Obiageli Edith Amadiobi, urged researchers to patent their innovations.
“Research must move from the shelf to the market. If you research into something original, you must own it by patenting,” she said.
Chairman of the conference Local Organising Committee, Prof. Mohamed Maina, said cash prizes were awarded to the top six innovators, while other participants also received incentives.
He described the competition as a milestone in BUK’s efforts to bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs.
