A team from Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) have emerged as the winners of the 2023 Nigerian Genius National Engineering Competition (Campus Edition).
This second edition of the annual national engineering competition was organized by Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC) in Aba.
The Nigerian Genius National Engineering Competition (Campus Edition) is a prestigious event that brings together Nigeria’s brightest minds in tertiary institutions to solve Nigeria’s most complex engineering and manufacturing challenges.
In this competition, students showcase their innovative skills, gain exposure to real-world engineering challenges, and learn from industry experts.
The Nigerian Genius competition not only helps to advance engineering education in Nigeria but also contributes to the development of practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and leadership qualities among the participants.
In this year’s edition of the Nigerian Genius, 49 tertiary institutions were shortlisted to participate in the competition, out of which four finalists emerged.
The four finalists of the 2023 Nigerian Genius National Engineering Competition (Campus Edition) were: the University of Uyo (Team UNIUYO), Yaba College of Technology (Team YABATECH), Ahmadu Bello University (Team ABU), and Federal University of Technology Minna (Team FUTMINNA). These schools were ranked based on their performance in the competition.
- Yaba College of Technology was ranked number one in engineering education in 2023. The team also earned a second award for incorporating the most innovative engineering design into their final solution.
- Federal University of Technology Minna (FUTMINNA) was ranked number two. They received the People’s Choice Award.
- University of Uyo (UNIUYO) was ranked number three and they received the Sustainability Award for using recycled materials in their final solution.
- Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) was ranked number four and they received the Resilience Award for being the most resilient team.
This ranking of tertiary institutions at the Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the teams on different criteria including engineering design and fabrication, teamwork, creativity, analytical thinking, engineering knowledge, problem-solving, soft skills, etc.
Goals and Objectives of Nigerian Genius
The Nigerian Genius National Engineering Competition was set up to achieve the following objectives:
- Draw national attention to engineering as a critical part of manufacturing, industrial and national development.
- Inspire tertiary institutions to improve their engineering education, paying more attention to industry-relevant skills and Project Based Learning
- Equip engineering students with essential industry and manufacturing skills
- Boost local manufacturing, resulting to employment generation and economic development
Project-based Training
Through a project-based learning approach, finalists of the Nigerian Genius 2023 were trained by industry experts on essential engineering and manufacturing skills such as: Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (3D Printing, CNC machining, laser cutting), Casting, Engineering fabrication (welding, drilling, filling, cutting, tapping, etc.), Embedded systems and problem-solving. During the training they produced different products including adjustable stools, mobile phone chargers, plate racks, chandeliers, etc.
The Challenge
A few months ago, the Nigerian president declared a state of emergency on food insecurity. The average Nigerian spends over 60% of their income on food, compared to less than 10% in developed nations.
Engineers can help solve Nigeria’s biggest problems, including food insecurity. In this second edition of the Nigerian Genius National Engineering Competition, the finalists from four tertiary institutions were given the challenge of solving Nigeria’s food crisis.
Within two weeks, they designed and built a farming robot to mechanize and automate farming, scale food production, and secure the lives of farmers.
With its ability to perform tasks such as clearing, planting, harvesting, irrigation, surveillance and weather updates, the farming robot has the potential to revolutionize agriculture in Nigeria.
This innovation not only addresses food insecurity but also has the potential to uplift the livelihood of farmers and contribute to the overall economic development of the country.
About Engineering For Industry (E4I)
The Nigerian Genius is part of Engineering for Industry (E4I), a project implemented by Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC) to enable and drive industrialization in Nigeria through capacity building in engineering innovation, indigenous product development, and manufacturing.
E4I bridges the skills gap between Nigerian engineering education and the industry, thus enhancing the employability of graduates and facilitating the growth of indigenous industries.
E4I also prepare engineering graduates to become successful entrepreneurs, creating indigenous products for Nigeria and international markets.
Through the E4I project, over 700 engineering students and lecturers across 6 tertiary institutions in Nigeria have been trained while 5 indigenous STEM kits have been developed and used to train 1,290 secondary school students and teachers in Nigeria.
About Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC)
The Nigerian Genius is designed and implemented by Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC) – a solar-powered STEM Centre, Nigeria’s first Makerspace (Engineering Tech Hub) and Hardware Startup Incubator.
Clintonel provides training, mentoring and equipment for young people to create engineering innovations, build indigenous products and startup technology businesses.
The Nigerian Genius is supported by ACT Foundation, Engineering X (Royal Academy of Engineering), Autodesk, and Advanced Engineering Centre.
