Young Nigerian inventor dazzles Jonathan with power-generating football

President Goodluck Jonathan (third left) plays an electricity-generating football (inset), co-invented by a US-based Nigerian, Jessica Mathews, while Vice-President Namadi Sambo (second left) and others watch, in Abuja... on Friday.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday expressed delight over the creativity of a 25-year-old Nigerian, Jessica Matthews, who invented a power-generating football called SOCCKET ball.

Matthews, who is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Unchartedplay, was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to present the ball, which can generate three hours of light from 30 minutes of play to Jonathan.

She also presented an energy-generating skipping rope to the President.

While congratulating her on her creativity and inventiveness  Jonathan said he was impressed that Matthews, who trained as a psychologist and economist, developed herself in the field of science.

He described her feat as a proof of the quality of human resource present in Nigeria.

The President said the invention was useful as a major tool that could be used to mobilise young Nigerians and encourage them to think more deeply.

Matthews said, “Sometimes power is lost and you say what can you do to solve this situation and I saw my 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 energy that is generated here and use it to address the issues that we really have; kinetic energy is used for windmill, why not the ball?”

She said although the items were already on sale in New York, she had not started making them in Nigeria.

She, however, said when they would be made available for sale in Nigeria, the cost would be equivalent to what people pay for a solar inverter.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, said the Federal Government was looking at the possibilities of manufacturing the items in Nigeria and see how to make them cheaper for Nigerians.

He said, “Jessica is a Nigerian, she studied at Harvard University, she went to Business School and actually taught herself Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. So, she is an inspiration to every Nigerian especially our children in Nigerian universities. This is a product not only for Nigeria, but a product made in Nigeria by a Nigerian and for the world.

“The second thing is that the product is actually versatile, it is not just about the electricity you see, you can use it to charge your mobile phones, for fans, so there are so many things for which it can be used.”
 Meanwhile, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga has announced that Jessica has been appointed an enterpreneurial ambassador. According to the Minister, Miss Jessica had agreed to be an Enterpreneurship Ambassador in Nigerian Universities.
- The Punch