A bionic arm created by Nigerian inventor Ubokobong Amanam has been named among TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2026, a major international honour for African innovation.
The Ubokobong Bionic Arm was developed by Amanam, who is from Akwa Ibom State, and his brother John through their company, Immortal Cosmetic Art. According to TIME, the device is now used by clients in 56 countries.
Born From a Personal Loss
The invention began with tragedy. On New Year’s Day 2019, Amanam lost his fingers in a fireworks accident.
When he looked for a prosthetic hand, he ran into a problem many Black amputees know well: almost none of the available artificial limbs matched his dark skin tone. Most prosthetics on the market were designed with lighter skin in mind, leaving people of colour with devices that looked out of place.
His brother John, a special-effects artist, stepped in and made him a realistic artificial hand. The result was so lifelike that it inspired the brothers to start making prosthetics for other Black amputees who faced the same problem.
How the Bionic Arm Works
The Ubokobong Bionic Arm is myoelectric, which means it is controlled by electrical signals from the user’s own muscles. When the wearer tenses the muscles in their remaining limb, sensors pick up the signals and move the hand.
What makes the device stand out is that it combines two things that are rarely found together:
- Realistic appearance: the arm is matched to the user’s skin tone, drawing on John’s experience creating lifelike effects for film.
- Functional movement: the bionic mechanism lets the user grip and handle objects, built on Ubokobong’s background in technology and electronics.
For many amputees, a prosthetic that looks like their own body is about more than appearance. It can restore confidence and help them feel comfortable in public.
“Great Ideas Can Come From Anywhere”
Reacting to the recognition, Amanam described it as a major milestone for African innovation. He said the honour shows that world-changing ideas can come from anywhere, and that he hopes his story encourages others to persevere, keep innovating and build solutions that help humanity.
Not His First Innovation
The TIME listing caps a busy year for the inventor. In June 2026, Amanam launched a robotic rehabilitation glove designed to help stroke survivors and people with hand disabilities regain movement.
His work had already drawn international attention. Reuters reported on the bionic arm in August 2025.
Why It Matters
TIME’s annual Best Inventions list highlights products that the magazine judges to be changing how people live. Being included puts a Nigerian-built device alongside innovations from some of the world’s biggest companies and research labs.
The recognition also shines a light on a gap in global healthcare. Prosthetics that reflect the full range of human skin tones remain hard to find, and the Amanam brothers have shown that the solution can come from the very communities that have been overlooked.
For young Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, the story is a reminder that personal setbacks can become the starting point for innovation with global impact.
Source: Premium Times, citing TIME magazine.