Samuel Rigu is among top 10 nominees for the African Innovation Foundation (AIF).

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He is joining nine other nominees who are being feted for their contribution to different spheres of the economy. The nominee list is dominated by Nigerias and South Africans. Egypt and Benin also have a nominee each.

IPA, now celebrating its fifth year under the theme “Made in Africa”, is an innovation initiative in the African continent, offering a grand share prize of US$150,000 and incentives to spur growth and prosperity in Africa through home-grown solutions.

“In the past five years, I’ve seen innovation grow from a mere buzzword to a sturdy path for African growth in multi-disciplinary industries across the continent. As Africans, we have the talent, potential and clout to solve our own problems with ingenuity too, and IPA is testimony of this,” said Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl, IPA Director at the helm of this initiative since its launch in 2011.

To date, IPA has attracted more than 6 000 innovators from 50 African countries, making it a truly Pan-African initiative. IPA 2016 attracted a record 3 600 plus innovators and received 985 successful submissions from 46 African countries. African ingenuity this year showcases new breakthroughs in malaria and other public health burdens, smart solutions for farmers and dynamic energy initiatives.

On the nomination, Rigu is the brainchild behind Safi Sarvi Organics, a low-cost fertiliser made from purely organic products and waste from farm harvests. The fertiliser is designed to improve yields by up to 30%.

Farmers in Kenya pay huge costs for fertiliser, which is often produced abroad and imported. Owing to such high costs, farmers can only afford the cheap, synthetic, and acidulated fertiliser varieties.

In many areas where the soil is inherently acidic, use of acidulated fertilisers can lead to long-term soil degradation and yield loss, at about four percent per year.

Safi Sarvi costs the same as traditional fertilisers, can reverse farmers’ soil degradation and lead to improved yield and income. The product uses biochar-based fertiliser which can counteract soil acidity, retaining nutrients and moisture in the soil.

Additionally, the carbon-rich fertiliser removes carbon from the atmosphere by at least 2.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per acre of farm per year.

The IPA says it has seen tremendous growth in applications and increasing interest from both innovators and innovation enablers over the years.