“I will work my way into the innovative world by setting a standard for all young minds like mine by striving to come out as one of the best Nigerian child known globally, till my work is appreciated,” says a young innovator. BINTA SHAMA reports.
It is generally said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with just a step. This young secondary school talented and focused young man is full of zeal and passion and is determined to get his work all out, has come out with his invention to showcase to Nigerians that despite economic challenges, there still lies talents within.
The 12-year old Idoma speaking young lad, Master Lesley Oche Ekere, who is a student of Junior Government Secondary School, Kubwa phase 4, at the comfort of his parents’ home woke up one day to inventing toys that could cost as low as N200.
How it all began
It all began two years ago when my mum got so angry with me because she felt I was not meeting up with her demands academically. She then gathered all my games and toys and hide them as a means to punish me, but forgetting that every disappointment they say, is indeed a blessing in disguise.
When she gathered the toys altogether, she intentionally left the broken ones for me to suffer the pain of not attending to them and that really frustrated me for almost two weeks. But, somehow, I saw myself manufacturing my own cars from the bad ones. As a young technologist that I am and I always see myself as one, I started trying to see how I could couple this cars together at a very little cost or nothing.
What I mean is that as low as a hundred naira or two. For instance when I bring in the broken or damaged pieces, and I am unable to couple or fix a particular part, I could just either use gum or cello tape to hold it in tightly which might just cost N150 or N200 only. So, that punishment became my turning point eventually and I know I shall do better if supported and encouraged.
What are you doing presently and how far have you gone with the invention?
Well, I am in school, but in my leisure time I make sure I attend to my inner cravings. There is no day that passes by that I do not touch my work or think of how I can do better and move beyond the level I am right now. Concerning the stage I am now, is a very minor one which is the reason I visit my piece daily, so I can know it, create more formula as well as grow to become an inventor of real machineries.
I invent anything I lay hands on because the pieces I get is what will determine what I will make at the end. So far, I have been able to invent toy cars with light, bicycles, etc. It might not look that neat but the engine is what matters, not just the physical appearance. Some move with batteries.
How has this impacted on your life as a student?
Positively. My mum must not hear anything of this nature in the house. But being a super-busy mum, she still finds time to supervise and make sure I am on track until one day she caught me in act of working on one of my pieces which was like a bet in school amongst my classmates, as to who would come up with the best invention. I told her it was a project, which it actually was and she helped in designing the exterior part of it. It was really pink and all my friends laughed at me, but I came second place awarding me with two thousand naira which I gave my mum and ever since then she has been quiet about it, but without any form of financial support. I am still glad about everything because I believe it is the reason why she granted this interview in the first place.
‘I intend to work my way into the innovative world by setting a standard for all young minds like myself by striving to come out as one of the best Nigerian child globally till my work is known and appreciated.’
Have you heard of ‘Innovation Expo’ organised by the federal government?
Yes ma, my friends that their schools participated talk about it whenever we meet and I learnt it’s a very big event. For me, I hope to showcase my invention when I am fully persuaded that it is perfect to an extent. Actually, why I got so interested was when I made a tiny moving car for my best friend’s birthday Simon E, at Christmas, then a little boy grabbed it and started playing with it and when it was time to get it back at the close of Church he refused to give it back and started crying and shouting then the mummy asked me how much it was I was dumbfounded, but my friend said N200 and immediately she handed it to me. That was how I made my first sales and monetary gift for my friend.
Since then I started making them on request, but that has been the highest I ever sold.
What’s the way forward?
I love Mathematics because it helps my mind to calculate, while English helps my grammatical way of speaking and Fine Arts because I love to draw and see things shaped in different forms of view. With all these I can keep my mind alive and I will remain living my life and keep doing what I know how to do best…. Creativity. God bless my dad for his unending love and support to us and hope some day to reciprocate it in return. I thank God and I bless your organisation for this opportunity ma.
