Geo-Hackathon trains 4,500 on GIS tech

Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership, University of Ibadan, says Geo-Hackathon initiative has trained more than 4,500 staff and students of the university on various disciplines of the Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology.

She said the purpose of the training was to proffer localised solutions for Nigerians’ challenges by equipping the youth and to provide a platform for innovative and effective urban resilient solutions.

Adeyemo spoke in Ibadan at the Geo-Hackathon Season 2 award ceremony organised by the University of Ibadan and other partners.

According to her, Geo-Hackathon is an aspect of the collaboration among the University of Ibadan, World Bank assisted Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) and the GIS KONSULT Ltd., to promote science and technology education.

She said that the initiative would promote Town and Gown collaboration to generate societal challenges for sustainable development.

In the award, three undergraduates of the University of Ibadan won the first prize of a technological innovation award by creating an application on Flood Risk Assessment and Waste Management. They are Wonderful Osalor, Waris Sanusi and Samuel Ajulo.

The trio developed “Smart Citi”: A Web-based Application for Automated Flood-Risk Assessment and Waste Management.

Osalor, a 200-Level Computer Science student said that the application analyses flood risk areas and its impact on health of the residents in a particular area which could be used as a basis for providing intervention by the government and health stakeholders.

Mr David Afolayan, one of the industry partners and co-organiser of the event said: “2020 has not just been about our world response to #EndSARS and COVID-19, but about our action and inaction to an agitation by young people for emancipation.

“In this very same time space, the University of Ibadan chose to rise to the task of changing and impacting its local community with the theme Ibadan Urban Resilience.

“This is done by promoting creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and partnerships, the university is bridging the gap between the Town and Gown for sustainable development.

“We are a step beyond where we were before. Yes, we have already broken inertia, we are now aiming for the stars and we hope to see Geo-Hackathon solutions in homes, communities and in use elsewhere”.

Also, Mr Dayo Ayorinde, the Project Coordinator, IUFMP, explained that the collaboration was borne out of the desire to ensure long term sustainability of the government’s huge investment in flood risk management assets.

Mr Oluwagbamila Oyekanmi, another partner in the industry, said that the difference among all nations of the world “are quality and the calibre of the people they have’’.

Oyekanmi said that the initiative was directed at improving the human resources towards the development of Nigeria.

“The quality and the capability of our people is going to make the difference. We might have minerals resources petrol or what have you but without the quality, the capability, the industry, the technocrats and human resources to extract those things, those things are useless,’’ he said.

The first prize award for Geo-Hackathon season 2 is N500, 000, second prize; N300, 000 and the third prize; N150, 000.

The categories of the initiative are the Innovative Product, Innovative Solutions and Online Journal entitled: “Tell Your Story’’.

No fewer than 55 participants took part in the innovation and creativity initiative