SAN FRANCISCO, August 16, (THEWILL) – Harvard-trained Nigerian, Jessica Matthews, has presented an environmental-friendly airless and energy-generating football she invented to the Federal Government.
Known as Power-Generating Soccer Ball, the device which can last for one and a half years and can be used as electricity power source when not in play, was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday at the State House, Abuja.
While presenting the device to the president, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, described it as a multi-purpose product that could be used to not only generate electricity but also charge mobile phones, saying the government was already excited about the product.
“We are also looking at the possibilities of manufacturing it in Nigeria and see how we can make it cheaper in this country. I am glad that Jessica has also agreed to be one of our Ambassadors in terms of promoting entrepreneurship in our universities, “ the minister said.
“The President recently launched what you call the University Enterprise Development Programme where we are encouraging universities to have Enterprises Clubs. One thing we want to do is to bring successful entrepreneurs like Jessica to inspire them and make them more creative so that the can also be employers of labour.”
Aganga hailed the inventor and the product, saying “she is an inspiration to every Nigerian especially our children in Nigerian Universities, ”adding ”This is a product not only for Nigeria but a product made in Nigeria by a Nigerian and for the world.”
President Jonathan,in is remarks, congratulated Matthews on the feat, saying he was particularly impressed that she is multi-talented and has developed herself in science despite the fact that she is a psychologist and economist.
“It is a proof of the quality of human resource we have in Nigeria,” the President noted, saying her presentation of the invention at home, here in Nigeria shows that she is patriotic.
Jonathan said the country is proud of her achievement, pointing out that she is a role model worthy of emulation by “all Nigerian children out there that they can be the best in whatever they want to be.”
According to the president, “Her creativity and entrepreneurship makes her a role model. Her invention useful as a major tool that can be used to mobilise the young people.”
Mathews, who is also the co- founder/ CEO, Unchartedplay. Said: “We all know that football is the most popular thing in the world, so, to most people, football form is the most convenient form. Any man on the street will be attracted to kicking football. So, the idea is to put something that people really love and get more out of it.
”These are the things we can use to see if we can amplify existing behaviour to bridge the gap between what is working and what is not working in this country that we love so much. We take our passion for sports that is so beautiful and we say okay, let’s give people renewable clean power that they can control.”
Se disclosed that her motivation for the work came from a situation when power was lost during her aunt’s wedding and she decided to embark on finding solution to any such future occurrence.
“I was 19 years old and you know, sometimes power is lost and you say what can you do to solve this situation and I saw my different cousins and everyone playing football, playing with everything, not even with football alone. I say this is amazing and they can rival Messi. If we can take this kinetic that is generated here and use it to address the issues that we really have, kinetic energy is used for windmill for any kind of motion devices, so why not the ball?,” she explained.
According to Mathews, “Right now, if we are going to sell it here in Nigeria, it will be equivalent to what you will pay for a solar inverter,” saying the product is currently being sold in New York.
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