UNILAG urges students to access N250m BOI grant with innovative ideas

The University of Lagos(UNILAG) on Tuesday urged students of the institution to come up with more solutions to societal challenges so as to access the N250 million grant by the Bank of Industry (BOI).

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, challenged the students in his address at the maiden edition of Professor Ogundipe Innovative Challenge (POIC) grand finale in Lagos.

The competition is about identifying and supporting students in Nigerian universities with exceptional ideas within their communities.

It was reported that the event was organised by the Faculty of Science of the institution.

According to Ogundipe, the vision of every student should no longer be about certification alone, but also innovation through critical thinking and entrepreneurship.

“This has remained my key vision for the students of this institution. I want to challenge them to do more by looking inwards, challenge themselves and see how they can come up with brilliant solutions to the numerous challenges in our everyday life.

“Now as I speak, based on the proposal we sent, we have N250 million grant by the BOI for students who can come up with innovative ideas, as this fund is still there waiting to be accessed.

“Recently, we invited some of our students who are into blogging; brought them together and we are mentoring them.

“Now we are thinking about bringing others who are into modeling and other areas.

“We want to bring all of these into focus in a bid to encourage, empower them and provide them with start off grant. We will equally go as far as registering their small businesses for them at no cost,’’ he said.

According to the vice chancellor, there is need for the students to always engage themselves in innovative ideas through science and technology, irrespective of their chosen carreer.

He also challenged them to always visit the institution’s Entrepreneurship and Skills Development centre to explore the opportunities it presented.

On the competition named after him, Ogundipe said the event was a testimony, adding that he was excited and encouraged.

“It simply makes me understand that more is expected from me. It also shows that the students and the faculty as a whole appreciate my contribution in the field of science, innovation and entrepreneurship,’’ the VC said.

Earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof. Adedotun Adekinle, said the event,which was in line with the vision of the vice chancellor, was a culmination of enormous efforts which began late in 2018.

According to him, it has witnessed how the Nigerian students have developed more sophisticated approach to solving technological and societal problems.

“Very well, we still have a long way to go, and only through joint efforts will we be able to keep scouting for these students with brilliant ideas in order to build and promote innovative ideas.

“Our country today is faced with myriad of challenges, in the field of health, transportation, security among others, which has hampered her from actualising her full potential.

“We believe many of these challenges can be solved using science and technology, especially through research and innovation by the teeming and highly cerebral population of students in the country, birthed by the University of Lagos Science Students Association,’’ he said.

He said that the competition had a twin purpose of fostering the development of science and technology through research, while also rewarding innovation.

According to him, it is aptly named after the 12th vice chancellor of the university due to his unabridged and relentless support for research and innovation in all spheres of science and technology.

“POIC aims to, in the long term, be a launch pad for ground breaking ideas which would mature into start ups that would go a long way towards growing the country’s economy and re-positioning it in the forefront of modern trends in science and technology climes,’’ he said.

It was reported that students from 11 universities across the country were participating in the competition.