UNILORIN innovation hub turning ideas to global solutions – Oloyede
By Isaac Lewu
The Ag. Manager of the University of Ilorin Innovation Hub, Dr Muhtahir Oluwaseyi Oloyede, has said that the facility is strategically positioned to transform innovative ideas from students and staff into globally competitive products.
Dr Oloyede disclosed that three student-led startups nurtured through the facility have secured a ₦50 million Students’ Venture Capital Grant(S-VCG) by the Federal Ministry of Education to accelerate their innovations.
The Ag. Manager, who stated this in an interview with UNILORIN Bulletin, attributed the achievement to the commitment of the University to innovation under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN. He described the establishment of the Hub as a timely response to the demands of digital transformation, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.
The Manager explained that although the facility was officially inaugurated this year, considerable groundwork had been laid before his appointment to ensure it serves as a platform for developing commercially viable products from research and creative ideas.
According to him, the success story began with an Artificial Intelligence workshop jointly organised by the University of Ilorin and Tech Mindset Kenya, where participating students were grouped to develop innovative solutions, with the best-performing teams subsequently admitted into the University’s Business and Academic Learning Innovation programme for mentorship and product development.
Dr Oloyede, who is also the immediate past Ag. Head of the Department of Information Technology, disclosed that three of the startups nurtured through the programme later emerged among the beneficiaries of the Federal Ministry of Education innovation initiative after being selected from about 30,000 participants nationwide. He described the feat as a strong indication of the growing reputation of the University in innovation and technology-driven enterprise.
The beneficiaries are representatives of different start-up groups.
One of them is Shehu Abdulrahman Magobon, a 600-Level student of Optometry and Vision Science, whose startup, Vecta, is developing an offline-first contactless payment infrastructure for campus transportation to eliminate cash transactions and improve efficiency for commuters and drivers.
Also recognised is Abdullahi Usman Babatunde, a 400-Level student of Information Technology, whose innovation, OmiChain, provides a decentralised marketplace connecting communities, drillers and donors to facilitate transparent and verifiable access to clean water infrastructure.
The third beneficiary, Elijah Adeniji, a 400-Level Biochemistry student, developing FaceTrust AI, a decentralised biometric digital identity platform that enables secure facial verification and seamless identity authentication through encrypted technologies.
Dr Oloyede explained that the Innovation Hub remains open to both students and members of staff with creative ideas, assuring all that the management of the facility is putting structures in place, including a ticketing system, to guarantee orderly access to its resources while providing mentorship to transform ideas into market-ready products.
He revealed that the Hub is also expanding its partnerships through collaborations with innovation organisations and industry stakeholders, adding that discussions are already underway for a Memorandum of Understanding with InLine Innovation Hub to broaden opportunities for innovators.
Dr Oloyede, who had previously served as a Deputy Director of the Laboratory to Product Centre, further disclosed that the University had been selected for an intervention project that would provide modern facilities for Artificial Intelligence, gaming and virtual reality, noting that the development would significantly strengthen the Innovation Hub’s capacity and enhance the University’s visibility in the global innovation ecosystem.
He added that the Hub has commenced its monthly Innovation Series, designed to expose participants to emerging technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities, while plans have also been concluded for a summer boot camp that will train staff, students and young technology enthusiasts in contemporary digital skills.
Dr Oloyede expressed appreciation to the University Management for its unwavering support, saying that sustained investment in innovation would further position the University of Ilorin as a leading institution for research commercialisation and technology-driven solutions capable of addressing societal challenges at national and international levels.
