Nigeria has taken another step toward strengthening engineering innovation with the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO) awarding N110 million in seed funding to four student-led engineering projects aimed at solving challenges in security, healthcare, agriculture, and energy.

The grants were announced during the maiden edition of the NEO Grand Finale held recently in Lagos, where outstanding university teams were recognised for developing technologies with strong commercialisation potential.

At the event, MAUT emerged as the overall winner and secured a N50 million grant. UI finished second and received N30 million, while the University of Jos claimed third place with N20 million. UNN placed fourth and was awarded N10 million.

In addition to the financial support, the four winning teams will benefit from continued technical mentorship, business development assistance, industry collaborations, and opportunities to commercialise their innovations.

Addressing participants at the ceremony, the immediate past President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Margaret Oguntala, described the competition as a significant initiative that positions young engineers to contribute meaningfully to sustainable national development.

She explained that the NSE recognised the need to bridge the gap between the vast engineering talent available in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and the country’s aspirations for technological advancement and industrialisation, noting that the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad was created to address that challenge.

Also speaking at the event, Olutosin Ogunmola, who represented the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) on the NEO Steering Committee, said engineering remains the defining factor separating developed nations from developing ones, stressing that the profession plays a vital role in nation-building.

He further observed that industries such as music and reality television have continued to thrive largely because of healthy competition and widespread public recognition.

In his welcome address, Mr. Michael Ajayi, Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, the implementing partner for NEO, said investing in youth-driven innovation is critical to Nigeria’s future. He noted that the competition aligns with the organisation’s mission of promoting youth leadership and enterprise development.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and initiator of the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to supporting the initiative by identifying and developing engineering talent among undergraduate and postgraduate students across the country.

Source: ThisDay