KIU, Western Campus – Dr. Kolawole Olonade, from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), has been selected as one of the Top 4 finalists under the ShelterTech category for the Africa Housing Forum Innovation Awards 2022 for his initiative, Cassava Concrete for Low-Cost Housing Delivery.

This was communicated to Dr. Olonade through a communiqué from the Innovation Awards Team at Africa Housing Forum 2022.

“Dear Dr Kolawole Olonade, Congratulations! Your initiative Cassava Concrete for Low-Cost Housing Delivery from Kampala International University has been selected as one of the Top 4 finalists under the ShelterTech category for the Africa Housing Forum Innovation Awards 2022,” reads the communiqué in part. 

“Your initiative was selected from 151 submissions received in this year's contest, reflecting the high calibre of your project,” it adds.

Because of this achievement, Dr. Olonade has been invited by the awards team for the Grand Premiere of the awards competition at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on May 13, where the top 4 initiatives from each category will present their ideas to a live audience. He will be required to give a 5-minute pitch presentation of his initiative.  

Dr. Olonade has previously won the prestigious German-African Innovation Incentive Award for the same initiative - the use of cassava wastes for production of concrete. 

He has to his credit about 40 academic papers published in reputable journals and peer review conference proceedings, locally and internationally as well as 10 technical reports.

Dr. Olonade uses ash from cassava peelings to make concrete as a replacement for cement, which helps reduce costs inconstruction of buildings.