By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

A ZAMBIAN youth has scooped the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) innovation award.
Wilson Musonda who walked away with US$700 and a certificate was among other individuals and institutions that won awards in different categories.
Mr Musonda scooped the award involving a fuel less manually operated generator set.
His innovation was an ideal application for domestic purposes in the rural and far-flung areas but could be used in urban areas as well.
Others who won were a Kenyan youth, Joshua Mwangemi who was awarded for his remote weighing system for safety of cargo and trucks that could save transit time and road maintenance cost.
Mr Mwangemi walked away with US1, 300 and a certificate.
Other winners were from Egypt, Kenya and Mauritius, who won in different categories of international trade and marketing.
Two Ugandan journalists also scooped COMESA prizes after they were singled out for contributing to the regional integration agenda.
The awards were announced at the just-ended 17th COMESA Heads of States and government summit in Kinshasa.
They were launched last year to recognise and celebrate individuals and institutions that have used science, technology and innovation.
The aim of the awards is to harness, nurture and grow the innovative capacities of the youthful population in the COMESA region.
The awards were initiated to implement the 31st Council of Ministers decision that created the COMESA Council and directed the Innovation Council to run the Innovation Awards.
COMESA Secretary General Sondiso Ngwenya congratulated the winners and said COMESA secretariat through its Intellectual property department would assist the winners to patent their innovations.
Mr Ngwenya said most research centres were based in Africa because the content was full of innovations.