By Tata Mbunwe
Final-year bachelor’s degree student of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Nervis Nzometiah, who used electronic waste to build a 3D printer, bagged the 2020 presidential award for the best ICT project, with a cash prize of FCFA 15 million.
The University of Buea (UB) community has lauded the student’s innovative effort with Vice Chancellor Prof. Horace Ngomo stating that Nervis Nzometiah has made the institution proud.
According to Nervis, the 3D printer, unlike printers used in documentation, can print metal objects, including cups, phones and camera covers, among other objects.
According to Prof Emmanuel Tanyi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, the 3D printer is part of the Faculty’s projects aimed at building electronics, computer control systems, and robotics.
He said the innovation is the latest printing technology in the world, reason why the innovator, Nervis Nzometiah, won a Presidential prize of FCFA 10 million, accompanied by another FCFA 5 million aimed at helping the young engineer transform the new printer into a marketable form.
According to Prof Tanyi, Nervis has been rigorous during his four years of studies which began in 2016, and the student had been among the best products of the Cameroon secondary school system.
Speaking today at an event at the University of Buea aimed at celebrating Nervis’ presidential prize win, Vice Chancellor Ngomo said youths should imitate Nervis and “take advantage of what is available in the environment.”
He added that the UB administration will “be on the lookout for innovations that will bring a smile on the faces of Cameroonians.”
He said though the prize winner has made the University proud, he still has a greater task to do; transforming the 3D prototype into a usable one, and mentoring other engineering students to solve Cameron’s problems.
“Engineers are made in the laboratory not in the classroom and every engineering student is required to build a something that will solve a problem in Cameron,” added Engineering Dean, Prof Emmanuel Tanyi.
Speaking at the occasion in UB’s Amphitheatre 750, Southwest’s Regional Delegate for Employment and Vocational Training said the innovation is very timely as it government’s wish to take young people from job seeking to job creation.
He said innovative projects like this are sure ways for youths to become their own masters and this is the solution poverty reduction.
“Everybody has a talent. You can become anything and being innovative will make you become your own master by creating your own job,” said Southwest Delegate of Employment and Vocational Training.
For the past five years, UB’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology has won at least 30 awards for innovations. Among these innovations includes the designing of an Automatic toll gate system and automatic irrigation system by its students, the Vice Chancellor said.
(C) Mimi Mefo Info 2020
This article was last updated in August 2026
