Nigeria at 65: Spotlight on 3 Nigerian Innovations Making Waves beyond West Africa

• The federal government declared Wednesday, October 1, 2025, a public holiday as Nigeria marked its 65th independence anniversary
• 65 years ago on this day, Nigeria officially gained independence from British colonial rule and set the stage for the country's journey toward self-determination and progress
• Over the years, some outstanding Nigerians have produced impressive world-changing innovations, which Legit.ng will spotlight in this article

As Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth, commemorates its 65th independence anniversary, Legit.ng shines a light on some of the country's innovations that are not only bettering lives in Africa, but making waves globally.

Since gaining independence from British colonial rule, Nigeria has improved its lot in all facets of endeavours, which is largely thanks to the will and creative ingenuity of some patriotic Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields.

1. Ubokobong Bionic Arm

Inspired by his brother's accident in 2018, a man, John Amanam, founded a Nigerian prosthetics company called Immortal Cosmetic Art.

The company developed the Ubokobong Bionic Arm, a hyper-realistic and functional prosthetic tailored specifically for Black skin tones.

According to the AFRO American Newspapers, John's family ordered a prosthesis from abroad when his brother lost a limb due to an accident.

To Amanam's amazement, the prosthesis did not match his brother's skin colour. This led Amanam to create a prosthesis covering that matches his brother's skin.

The company crafts lifelike prosthetic fingers, brea'sts, hands, legs, noses and ears, focusing on precise colour matching and giving it a natural appearance.

Amanam's innovative work has gained global recognition.

2. Salubata

Another transformative innovation is Salubata. Salubata is a Nigerian shoe design and manufacturing company co-founded by Fela Buyi, a Nigerian.

The company, founded in 2020, collects plastic waste and converts it into customised shoes.

According to Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability, Buyi developed technology that creates detachable modular shoes that allow the soles to be completely separated from the rest of the shoe.

While it empowers underprivileged communities by reinvesting profits into social initiatives, Buyi's company also addresses environmental concerns.

3. LightEd

One remarkable Nigerian innovation worth mentioning is LightEd. LightEd is a company that turns plastic waste into solar-powered charging stations.

LightEd was co-founded by a Nigerian energy innovator, Stanley Anigbogu.

Stanley was announced as the 2025 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year in March 2025, The Commonwealth reports.

What is marvelling about Stanley's innovation is its transformation of waste into solar-powered innovations that can deliver clean energy to homes.

LightEd was born in 2020 from Stanley's desire to help poor communities. His innovation is helping to address Nigeria’s electricity.

Commonwealth reports that LightEd has trained over 6,000 students and recycled more than 20,000 kilograms of plastic. It has also raised over $500,000 from donors and partners to expand its work.

In a related story, Legit.ng reported 10 takeaways from Tinubu's Independence Day broadcast on Wednesday, October 1.

Nigeria at 65: Kano governor laments

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir had said that Nigeria is still far from the nation of the people's dreams.

Governor Yusuf called on Nigerians not to lose hope despite the persistent challenges of poverty, insecurity, and mistrust.

As reported by Daily Trust, Governor Yusuf, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Sulaiman Wali, stated this on Monday, September 29, 2025, at a pre-independence public lecture held at the Coronation Hall, Kano Government House. The governor urged Nigerians to take ownership of nation-building by participating actively in democratic processes.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng