Moniepoint Group and the Tosin Eniolorinda Foundation have awarded ₦1 million in prizes to three final-year Mechanical Engineering teams at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, for innovative projects addressing challenges in agriculture, healthcare and environmental sustainability.
The awards followed the department’s final-year project exhibition, where 12 student teams showcased engineering solutions to practical problems.
A panel of judges, including Chidinma Enemanna, Lead Executive Communications, Moniepoint Inc., evaluated the projects based on originality, engineering design, innovation, practicality and potential contribution to national development.
The winning team received ₦500,000, while the first and second runners-up received ₦300,000 and ₦200,000, respectively.
The first-place team developed EcoRide, a 12V DC solar-powered mobile refrigerator designed to transport perishable goods and agricultural produce to rural communities with limited access to affordable refrigeration.
The first runner-up presented a biomimetic high-flux dialysis membrane mechanism aimed at exploring more affordable kidney treatment options for rural communities and disadvantaged populations.
The second runner-up developed a gravity-fed water purification system capable of treating oil-spill-contaminated water in the Niger Delta and other affected communities without requiring electricity.
Edidiong Uwemakpan, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Moniepoint Group, said the awards reflected the organisations’ commitment to supporting young innovators whose ideas address pressing societal needs.
“The strength of any economy lies in the quality of its young talents. These students have shown what is possible when ambition meets the right support, and their solutions speak directly to the needs of our communities,” he said.
He added that Moniepoint and the Foundation would continue investing in young people and ideas capable of driving Nigeria’s development.
The Head of OAU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Adam Muritala, described the exhibition as a bridge between academia and industry, urging stakeholders to support promising innovations while students are still in university.
The exhibition also featured students from 10 secondary schools. Prof. Grace Ogunlusi, Director of OAU’s Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office, encouraged the visiting students to develop research skills and think critically about solving real-world problems.
The initiative builds on the Foundation’s previous investment in the university. In 2024, it spent more than ₦100 million renovating and equipping the department’s laboratory, now known as the Tosin Eniolorinda CAD/CAM Laboratory, to strengthen engineering education, research and practical learning.
In 2026, the Foundation and Moniepoint Group also launched a ₦3 billion innovation hub initiative across OAU, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), aimed at developing the next generation of Nigerian technology and innovation talent.