OAU students win STEM Africa competitions, receive N3 million cash prizes, scholarship

Three students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, have received a N3 million cash prize after emerging winners of the University Duel and the Smart Challenge competition 2026.

The competitions, organised by STEM Africa, were held between February and May.

However, the prize presentation was held on Saturday, 13 June, at the university’s Oduduwa Hall.

The three students, Imran Ogungbayi, Quayum Ali, and Lekan Adesina, of the Faculty of Computing Science, represented OAU at the competition.

Mr Ali, who emerged as the overall best performer in the competition, received a plaque and a golden trophy from the university vice-chancellor, Simeon Bamire, a professor.

The vice-chancellor also announced a scholarship for the three students for their excellent performance at the two competitions.

Mr Bamire didn’t give the specifics of the scholarship, but asked the students to meet the Dean of Student Affairs for the details.

The organisers also presented N1 million to the Faculty of Computing Science for innovative development.

Alongside the cash prizes, the three students received certificates of participation.

About competition

According to the founder of STEM Africa, Oludapo Ojo, the competition featured 1,568 students representing 62 universities across the country.

The University Duel Competition is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) annual contest among the top 16 higher institutions where outstanding undergraduates collaborate and compete in critical thinking, problem solving, analytics, sustainable environments, general knowledge, and innovations.  

The participating universities are first tested in a preliminary group stage, and the top two from each group advance to the quarter-finals (knockout), the semis, and then the final. 

Meanwhile, the Smart Challenge Competition is also an annual national innovation competition where students representing universities are divided into groups of four. Each university competed against others in their group to identify real societal problems and design tech solutions in areas like HealthTech, EdTech, and clean tech.

The OAU team won the University duel after defeating the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) during the finals in March. The team won after securing 107 points against FUTA’s 62 points.

The team also won the SMART Challenge with their innovation, a smart traffic light that detects high and low traffic to switch between Red, Yellow and Green lights. Other institutions that competed in their group are: The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Covenant University, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

Speaking, the consultant of STEM Africa, who is also an alumna of the university, Ore Sofekun, said this year’s winners can no longer participate in subsequent editions of the competition.

“The platform is open, and registration is ongoing for the 2027 season, and all students are implored to apply,” she said.

In his welcome address, the Dean of Student Affairs, John Odedire, a professor, commended the students for their doggedness and congratulated them for the feat.

Mr Odedire encouraged students present to emulate the trio and maintained that the seed of success and greatness is in everyone.

“Even though the school finished as the second runner-up in the last edition, the doggedness and resilient spirit of the team earned them a victory at last, and, as a result, OAU became the first institution to win both the University Duel and the Smart Challenge competition in the same year,” he said.

Speaking, the vice-chancellor, Mr Bamire, noted that the school’s motto is not only “learning and culture” but also other remarkable components the school is reputed for, such as winning medals.

Ms Ore, reinforcing the need to celebrate the students, stated that the win in both categories demonstrated that the students did not just know science but also understood how to apply it, as they had to come up with two different ideas of applying technology to solve societal issues within the space of six months. 

A representative of MTN Nigeria, Dolapo Adegoke, applauded the students for carrying the institution’s banner with pride and excelling in STEM to demonstrate the excellence OAU is known for. 

Ms Adegoke encouraged the winners to keep their drive and see themselves as those who will contribute to the growth of the country.

“Winning is not the end; it’s the beginning, and the true mark of a champion is not the trophy lifted at the end of a contest but what they do the morning after,” she said.

Winners speak

One of the winners, Quayum Ali, told Campus Reporter expresses his delight at the outstanding achievement, saying that the success was a testament to the support given by the school management and everyone who cheered them to victory. 

Mr Ali advised students to take advantage of the good initiative, urging them to participate in the competition to connect with brilliant minds outside the four walls of the university. 

Mr Adesina appreciated the school management and students for their support and encouragement, while admonishing students, particularly females, to show interest and participate in the competition.