Federal Government Appoints Electricity Generating Football Inventor As `Entrepreneurship Ambassador’

The Federal Government has appointed Jessica Mathews, a U.S.-based Nigerian, who invented energy generating football and skipping rope as an `Entrepreneurship Ambassador’.

The Minister of Trade and Investments, Dr Olusegun Aganga, announced this on Friday after the presentation and demonstration of the invented products to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.

Jessica Matthew, an Edo-born inventor, who demonstrated the soccer ball, said it could generate three hours of electricity after 30 minutes of play and could store power for 72 hours.

The electricity generated by the ball, according to her, can be used as electricity source to power lighting points and household equipments.

Mathews, 25, and Co-founder of Uncharted play, said the airless football used as electricity power source when not in use, could span for 18-months before replacement.

The inventor, who studied Psychology and Economics in Havard University, U.S., said she taught herself Electrical and Mechanical Engineering because of her interest in the field

She said her motivation to invent the ball and skipping rope came when she attended a wedding in Nigeria and there was a sudden power outage.

“I am a Nigerian and was in Nigeria, it was my Aunt’s wedding and we lost power. How many times, is there anyone who has not been affected?

“For me, I was raised to seek a solution when there is a problem. To be as creative as you can and be opened to different ways so you can address the situation,’’ she said.

Mathews, who spoke on why she chose to use football, explained: “to me, we all know that football is the most popular thing in the world.

“To most people, football form is the most convenient; 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.’’

She said the innovation, which had been accepted and already in use in the U.S., would be affordable when mass-produced and introduced into the Nigerian market.

Vanguard