The Birth of African Manufacturing Group (AMG)

By Aminu Owonikoko
AMG is modelled after Warwick Manufacturing Group (popularly known as WMG) in the UK, National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE) in the UK, Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) in the UK and Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (popularly known as NIER) in Australia.
AMG aims to find innovative solutions to Africa’s most challenging problems (such as product rework/re-manufacturing, preserving agricultural produce, generating renewable energy from agricultural residues such as corn stover (i.e. corn leaves and stalks), wheat and rice straw, food safety and control), provide reliable suppliers and service providers across Africa and meet the need of individuals in Africa through the provision of relevant training and workshops.
Furthermore, one of the top AMG’s synergies would be to have concerted efforts with reliable and competent academics and non-academics around the world which will improve the manufacturing sector in Africa.
At the moment, we are at the research, design and development (RDD) stage to develop small or large scale refrigerator using 3D printing technology for farmers in Africa to preserve their produce/harvest pending the time that the produce will reach potential customers in the market due to bad road networks that characterise the supply link between the farm and the market in Africa. We believe our concerted efforts will open a new market with novel technological products for African countries and solve post-harvest losses in African Farms, thus, alleviate poverty in Africa through job creations.
Currently, AMG’s team are Mr. Arnab Dutt OBE, Dr. Adedeji Aremu (PhD), Dr. Adeayo Sotayo (PhD) and Mr. Aminu Owonikoko. Brief profiles of the team are given below:
• Mr. Arnab Dutt, OBE, MSc (UK), BA Hons (UK). Currently a UK SME Panel Member, Founder and CEO of Dexo Technologies, Chair of the Social Value Policy Unit for UK Federation of Small Businesses. Further information can be found on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnabdutt1/
• Dr. Adedeji Aremu, PhD (UK), MSc (UK), BSc Hons (Nigeria). Currently a Lecturer in Advanced Manufacturing and Associate at Institute of Future Transport and Cities at Coventry University in the UK, Former Research Fellow at University of Birmingham and Additive Manufacturing Research Fellow at University of Nottingham, UK. Further information can be found on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adedejiaremu/
• Dr. Adeayo Sotayo, PhD (UK) BEng Hons with First Class (UK). Currently work as a Research Fellow/Lecturer in Additive Manufacturing at Brunel University London and previously worked as a Researcher/Lecturer at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Further information can be found on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeayosotayo/