Motunrayo Sanyaolu, a 21-year-old electrical engineering student at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, has been awarded the inaugural Engineering Spirit Award for her outstanding contributions to innovation and technology. The award, introduced this year, recognizes Sanyaolu's passion and dedication to creating solutions that can positively impact society.

Sanyaolu's innovative spirit was evident from her first year at the university, where she began working on tech projects with lecturers and mentoring fellow students. Her achievements include publishing a book encouraging students to take their first steps towards innovation, and applying for a Nigerian patent for a low-cost, off-grid heating blanket for newborns. The blanket, designed to cost below ₦50,000 ($32), has the potential to reduce the 62% rate of hypothermia affecting newborns in underfunded clinics.

The heating blanket, which looks like a furry toy coat, is a testament to Sanyaolu's creativity and resourcefulness. She has already developed two versions of the blanket and is working on a third iteration, which will feature a better heating system and design. The blanket is powered by a battery and can be used in clinics with limited access to electricity.

Sanyaolu's passion for innovation was inspired by the movie Big Hero 6, which she watched as a teenager. She was fascinated by the protagonist's lab filled with futuristic inventions and decided then that she wanted to create her own inventions. After losing her father, a nurse, to COVID-19, Sanyaolu's determination to make a difference in the world only grew stronger.

During the 2022 strike, Sanyaolu turned to programming and completed a Harvard intro course online. She then discovered the Computer Science Academy Africa (CSA), a Python boot camp, which introduced her to the Internet of Things (IoT) and showed her how software and hardware could blend. This experience led her to take on an internship at an innovation hub in Unilag, where she worked on healthcare-related projects.

Sanyaolu's ultimate goal is to master her career and earn enough to focus on passion projects. She admires individuals like Mark Rober, who worked at NASA and Apple before gaining the financial stability to create whatever he wanted on YouTube. Sanyaolu hopes to establish something in the IoT space, possibly mechatronics, and create a future where others can bring their ideas to life.

The Engineering Spirit Award is a testament to Sanyaolu's hard work and dedication to innovation. Her story serves as an inspiration to young people, especially women, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

As Sanyaolu looks to the future, she is determined to continue pushing boundaries and making a positive impact on society. Her award is a reminder that innovation can come from anywhere, and that with passion, creativity, and perseverance, anyone can make a difference.