Team Neon of Whitesands School, Lekki, Lagos did Nigeria proud at the Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Challenge (SOIC) held penultimate week in the United States.
The team made up of Afolabi Williams (team leader), Olubusiyi Famobiwo, Menashi Mordi and Osagumwenro Naaman Ugbo won the Power Pitch of the Smoke-Free World category of the challenge which held at the Kennedy Space Centre, Visitor Complex, Florida, USA.
The four junior secondary school pupils made it to the fourth round and final stage of the competition, the only representatives from Nigeria and Africa that participated in the finals. They pitched their idea on a Virtual Farm project, which falls under the category for Smoke-Free World.
The other categories of the competition were Aerospace Aviation, Cyber Technology and Security, Energy and Environment, and Health and Nutrition.
The competition challenged high school pupils to create an innovative product that provides solution to a real-world problem such that someone can pay for it, by applying principles in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
They also had to research their product’s potential market impact and develop a full business plan.
In the smoke free category, the pupils were asked to design 21st Century solutions to farmland that is currently used for tobacco production especially in African countries, in light of global decline of smoking.
Team Neon also received the Good Citizen Award at the event.
They were accompanied by their coach, Mr Matthew Omotoso, the junior school ICT teacher at Whitesands.
Their participation, including travel, accommodation and others, was sponsored by , Guaranty Trust Bank plc, sponsored the young innovators to the finale of the Conrad Challenge. The Bank’s sponsorship included, among other benefits, the total coverage of the team’s travel and stay in America
Established in 2008, the Conrad Foundation honours the legacy of Apollo 12 astronaut, Charles “Pete” Conrad, and his four decade passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.