“Government says fry akara, but this guy built a robot” — Nigerians react as young man shows off robot he created from scratch (see video)

• A young Nigerian man went viral after showcasing a robot he built from scratch.

• The robot successfully picked up an empty water bottle and threw it into a waste bin after receiving a voice command.

• Many Nigerians praised the inventor's talent, with some saying he deserves international recognition and more support.

• The video also sparked debates about poor government support for innovation and the untapped potential of young Nigerians.

A young Nigerian man has got people talking on social media after showing off a robot he said he built from scratch.

In a video making the rounds online, the inventor demonstrated one of the robot's abilities by giving it a simple command. He handed the machine an empty plastic water bottle and instructed it to dispose of it.

The robot stretched out its arm, collected the bottle from him, moved its hand towards a nearby waste bin and dropped it inside, leaving many viewers impressed by how smoothly it carried out the task.

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The clip has since sparked conversations about the level of talent in Nigeria, with many people saying the country is full of brilliant minds who only need the right support to thrive.

Reacting to the video, one X user wrote: "This is incredible talent at work here! This guy should be linked to Elon Musk."

Another person said: "This is actually impressive. Nigeria would have gone far if not because of our government. Nigerians have the capacity to change the whole story, but our government said NO, we should go and fry akara."

One commenter added: "Impressive build! That arm movement and grip on the bottle shows real engineering smarts keep pushing these skills."

Not everyone was completely convinced, however. One user shared a different opinion, saying: "Okay we are proud of him. But just me thinking out loud why are we creating these other creatures, it somehow feels as though it’s not right."

One person wrote:

"Nigeria to the world. They won't support this kind of task. But they would say we should do Akara or corn. We are very intelligent people, we only have a problem of useless governance."

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Echoing a similar sentiment, someone else said:

"Nigerians are really creative and we can do a whole lot, we just need some development and have more belief in ourselves."

While another concluded: "He's a genius but Nigeria won't bring to the spotlight."

Nigeria has produced several innovators in robotics, artificial intelligence and engineering over the years, with many of them gaining recognition online before receiving wider attention. The viral video has once again reignited conversations about the need for greater investment in science, technology and innovation, as many believe talented young Nigerians can compete globally if given the right opportunities.