{
  "id": 15261691,
  "title": "Nigerian-made bionic arm named among TIME’s best inventions of 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/nigerian-made-bionic-arm-named-among-times-best-inventions-of-2026-15261691",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T19:36:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/nigerian-made-bionic-arm-named-among-times-best-inventions-of-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Nigerian-made bionic arm, the Ubokobong Bionic Arm, has been recognized among TIME magazine's Best Inventions of 2026. Developed by Immortal Cosmetic Art, the prosthetic was featured in the accessibility category of TIME's list, which was published on October 15, 2026. The magazine reported that the arm, which is myoelectric and controlled by muscle signals, is now being utilized by clients in 56 countries. The story of the Ubokobong Bionic Arm began on New Year's Day 2019 when Ubokobong Amanam lost his fingers in a fireworks accident in Nigeria. He found it challenging to find a prosthetic that matched his skin tone. His brother, John, a special-effects artist, created a hyperrealistic hand for him. This led to the establishment of Immortal Cosmetic Art, which aims to produce lifelike prosthetics for other Black amputees. Ubokobong stated that their goal is to restore comfort and confidence to amputees. John, who has a background in technology and electronics, then worked on a prosthetic that would be both functional and realistic, resulting in the Ubokobong Bionic Arm. Reuters revealed in August 2025 that the company, based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, had received orders from the United States, Britain, Australia, and Ghana prior to the arm's official launch. The report highlighted that prosthetics remained inaccessible or unaffordable to many Nigerian amputees. John Amanam, the firm's CEO, described the arm as a product designed for Africans by Africans. However, no date has been announced for its official launch.",
  "summary": "A Nigerian-made bionic arm, the Ubokobong Bionic Arm, has been named among TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2026 for its accessibility and design. Read More: https://punchng.com/nigerian-made-bionic-arm-named-among-times-best-inventions-of-2026/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Nigerian-made bionic arm named among TIME’s best inventions of 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/nigerian-made-bionic-arm-named-among-times-best-inventions-of-2026",
        "published": "2026-10-17T19:08:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}