Education
UI Undergraduates Win Robotics Contest
Five undergraduates of the University of Ibadan in Oyo State have won N1 million at the Professor Ayodele Awojobi Design Competition (PAADC) for a solution that leverages robotics and artificial intelligence to solve societal problems.
Hive, an Andela-like students-led learning community that builds robots to solve Nigeria’s social problems while teaching relevant industrial skills, won a keenly contested competition at the third annual edition of PAADC, held at the University of Lagos Main Auditorium recently, beating 49 other teams from 20 African tertiary institutions to clinch the grand prize, as well as pro bono venture building and mentoring support, all funded by Verraki Partners, a business solutions company focused on accelerating the development and transformation of Africa.
Hive was rated best idea during the competition by an expert panel of judges that included Tomi Otudeko, Head, Innovation and Sustainability, Honeywell Group; Adia Sowho, Managing Director, Mines.io; Demilade Adesiyan, Programmes Manager, NeuBridges; Azeez Ogunjobi, CEO, SImbi Interactives and Chinasa Onuzo, Vice President, African Capital Alliance.
The judges critically analysed the teams’ entries and assessed the applications based on product performance/dynamics, value potential, scalability, business model, monetization, price sustainability, competitive advantage, customer acquisition and partnership projections among others.
Vice President, African Capital Alliance and chief judge of the contest, Chinaza Onuzo, commended the top winners of the design competition, stressing why Hive won the grand prize. According to him “The fact that the project has very clearly defined ambitions has gone a long way in securing the bag. Much more than I expected, we might be looking at our own iron man”.
The first runner-up was Team WantToPrint, from Obafemi Awolowo University with an online platform that connects students to printing houses on campus and allows them to save time while Team iGlass from Ahmadu Bello University which created a visual assistant for visually impaired citizens (students especially) was the second runner up. Their invention – iGlass takes instructions from the visually impaired user and converts it to actions such as surfing the internet and giving information about the environment.
The third edition (PAADC 3.0) themed “The influence of innovation and technology in a progressive society” featured over two thousand, three hundred engaged participants as well as leading academics, technology and start-up founders.
Attendees included the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who was the chief host and other representatives from the host University. Keynote addresses were delivered by Juliet Anammah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jumia Nigeria and Mr Hakeem Fahm, former Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State while panel discussants include CEO Max.ng, Adetayo Bamiduro; Lead Innovation & Data Unit; Chief Innovation and Data Officer, Wema Bank, Konstantin Tsanis; Innovation Manager, MTN Nigeria, Victor Orie-Ononogbu; Nigeria Climate Innovation Center CEO, Bankole Toba, Senior Partner, Ventures, Verraki; Kelvin Balogun; Digital Head, Starcom Media Perspectives, Ose Osundeko; Red Media Africa CEO, Tunde Kara, and a representative of the Lagos State Office of Transformation, Creativity and Information, Bolanle Norman.
Former President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Engineer Titi Omo-Ettu who was a student of the late Professor Ayodele Awojobi in 1969 at the University of Lagos was also in attendance, in addition to several other industry leaders, Nigerian students and undergraduates and young professionals.
There were presentations from the highest-ranking teams in the application pool for the third edition of the competition including teams from the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, and Obafemi Awolowo University.
Event sponsor, Verraki Partners, represented by the Manager, Marketing and Communications, Temitope Osunrinde commended the top winners and urged all participants to upskill themselves so that they can contribute to the digital revolution.
The event was hosted by the University of Lagos Engineering Society and an extensive team student from the University of Lagos led by Adedayo Aruwajoye, a 500-level engineering undergraduate.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
