“Arise and Build Your Future!”, UNILAG NitHub Director Charges Young Nigerians, as Team Neptune Wins POIC 2.0

The Acting Director of NITDA Information Technology Hub (NITHub) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, has challenged young Nigerians to rise up and take responsibility for the future they desire.

He gave the charge as Guest Lecturer at the second edition of the Professor Ogundipe Innovative Challenge (POIC 2.0), held on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi Auditorium, UNILAG.

The Computer Scientist and Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert spoke on the topic, “Empowering Tomorrow: Unleashing the Potentials of the Gen–Z for Disruptive Innovation”. He bemoaned the incremental nature of Nigeria’s manifold challenges and, more so, the seeming reluctance of the Nigerian system to own up to the reality of those challenges.

“Simply put, there is a problem with Nigeria’s tomorrow; and we need to begin to think critically and realistically about it, if we want a brighter future”, he declared.

Using South Korea as a case study, Dr. Odumuyiwa made a strong case for innovation as the pathway for Nigeria out of the morass of multidimensional problems, and on to economic growth and global competitiveness. He identified the Gen-Z as the demographic bloc of the Nigerian population that is most attuned to the demands of Innovation, and urged the authorities to create a friendly ecosystem that will harness their physical and mental energies for the advancement of the country.

“Generation Z, or Gen-Z for short, refer to the group of people born between the years 1997 and 2010. People in this category are characteristically entrepreneurial, creative, ambitious, and social. Patience is not their strong suit; and that is not necessarily a bad thing, only if their tendency for action could be intentionally directed to creative and innovative pursuits. They make up 30% of the Nigerian population and are, therefore, an asset base that Nigeria must begin to actively cultivate to stand a chance in the disruptive age of digital technology”.

He urged young Nigerians to use their digital nativity to their advantage, discard the ‘impossibility’ mentality, and leverage Artificial Intelligence to create value for themselves and the country at large.

“As members of the Gen-Z, you are full of ideas. It is important, however, to note that it is the implementors of ideas who rule the world, not those who merely possess the ideas. Digital Dexterity and AI Literacy are essential skills that you need to navigate the new age of digital technology disruption. Artificial Intelligence comes with a lot of opportunities which I urge you to leverage on. Don’t be afraid of AI. It will only make you useless if you don’t know how to use it. So, with the coming of AI, Gen-Z, I urge you to take your ideas further and rule the world. I challenge you to arise and build your future!”

Nudging Minds to Think Up New Solutions

It was a very impressed Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS who addressed the gathering at POIC 2.0. She commended the organisers of the event, assuring them of the continued support of the University of Lagos for programmes that will complement its FUTURE-READY agenda.

Her words: “At the University of Lagos, what we are doing is to create new knowledge. We are nudging minds to think up new solutions to our existing problems and to anticipate future ones. We are working intentionally to produce those who will create jobs and so, we’re focused on ensuring that innovation happens, not just about sharing knowledge. To all the young people here, I say, “think outside the box” and birth new solutions. Think about how you’re going to make Nigeria the best in the world and that can only happen by challenging your mind and looking for solutions to problems. You can be assured of our support for you”.

A Celebration of the Faculty of Science

The 12^th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos for whom the innovative challenge was named, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, FAS, was full of praise for organisers of the event.

“We are not here to celebrate Ogundipe, but the students of the Faculty of Science who in their wisdom, and with the guidance of their lecturers, came up with this idea. They even went on to register a Foundation as a platform to nurture the idea. “The programme started in 2019 and from what I have seen, this project will be taken far beyond what it has become today.”

Team Neptune Nicks it!

When the preliminaries were done and the time came for the rubber to meet the road, the audience was treated to a number of brilliant presentations by the competing teams who pitched their respective ideas.

Team Neptune from UNILAG, with a project in Bio-engineering emerged winner of the competition. It won the N1 million grand prize and free training from Opolo Global Innovation, a hub for talent promotion.

Team Horizon from the Lagos State University (LASU) came second with an Agricultural Technology idea, aimed at helping small holder farmers ger optimum yield from soil cultivation. It won N750,000 and free training from Opolo Global Innovation Hub.

Team Ilucens (from UNILAG), with its pitch on Food Processing won the 3^rd Prize of N500,000 and TFree (University of Nigeria, Nsukka) won 4^th Prize of N100,000 with its idea on Health Technology.

An Array of Dignitaries

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Hon. Tolani Sule. The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwoolu, was also represented by Mrs Oyindamola Ogunsanwo. An alumnus of the University of Lagos and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Mrs Folake Soetan, represented the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Kola Adesina, who is the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group.

Also present were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa; Wife of the 12th Vice-Chancellor, Mrs Oluwaseun Ogundipe; Founding Father of Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos, octogenarian Professor Francis Ogunye; Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Elijah Oyeyemi.

About POIC 2.0

The Professor Ogundipe Innovative Challenge (POIC) is an initiative of the Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, which seeks to create an enabling platform for innovative students in Nigeria to nurture their ideas to fruition.

The initiative provides young, ingenious Nigerian students who have innovative ideas with a platform to put their brilliance to work by proffering solutions to several human and environmental problems in return for financial and institutional support.

947 applications were received when the window for POIC 2.0 opened in 2020. From that number, 199 teams and 50 proposals emerged. The top 5 were shortlisted to compete for the Grand Prize of 1million Naira at the finals.