Nigerian Engineer Patents Water Device To Aid Rural African Farmers

Ezekiel Okpuzor

Nigerian environmental engineer Muhammad Isa Abdurrahman, along with his team has developed and patented an affordable water lifting device designed to improve irrigation and water access for rural farmers across Africa.

The team, including Mohammed Rabiu Musa and faculty mentors Dr Gaurav Saini and Dr Satya Prakash, received two patents for their low-cost, manual water lifting technology, one patent for the installation and assembly method and a design patent for the device itself.

This device, unlike traditional pumps that depend on electricity or fuel, requires no external power. It is designed to be simple, affordable, and easy to use, making it especially beneficial for smallholder farmers and households facing water scarcity and the high operational costs of conventional pumping systems.
Field trials in northern Nigeria showed the device enabled farmers to irrigate crops more efficiently while reducing labor. Communities also experienced better access to domestic water, with significant time savings for women and children previously burdened by manual water hauling.

Abdurrahman, who topped his class at Sharda University, highlighted that the device was created out of necessity to provide a durable and scalable solution for underserved communities. Experts emphasize the invention’s alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on clean water access and sustainable agriculture.