News
Winner Emerge in Microsoft 2010 Imagine Cup Competition
Team Indwell has emerged national winner of this year’s Microsoft Imagine Cup competition, held at the Unilag CITS complex, Lagos.
Team Indwell, comprising Abiola Olaniran, Adeboye Oshinaga and Akinbiyi Omole, 400 level students of the Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University beat five other teams at the keenly contested event to come out tops.
Team Indwell’s winning title was ‘Brain Media’. According to the team, the software creates access to quality education throughout the world. This is done by coming up with a platform that builds relationships which combines people (teachers, children, students and other professionals) in the developed nations with those in the under-developed and developing nations. Through this, quality resources are made available for every-body irrespective of their geographical location, political climate and gender inequality.
The project concept which came from joint passion by team members to change the face of African education using technology is an extensible system that allows the development of computer educational applications. The system includes a desktop application, a web application, short message services applications and a central XML Application Programming Interface (API).
Team Green won the Most Innovative prize with their ‘Poverty Alleviation Portal’, a food management scheme aimed at ensuring food security in the country.
Team Wings came second with the ‘Viridis’ software which is targeted at helping in environmental protection, maintenance of vegetation cover as well as monitoring of carbon emission in the environment.
Speaking at the event, Ken Spann, Development Platform manager, Microsoft Nigeria, said, “This is the third year Nigeria has sent a team to the Imagine Cup finals. This year saw an increase in the number of schools and students participating in the annual Microsoft sponsored software competition. It is the “World Cup” of student software competition. All of Nigeria is wishing for Team Indwell’s success at the finals in Poland.
While commending the winners, Ken Spann expressed hope that if the team put in the same level of seriousness as they did at the Nationals, they will set a new record as the first black country to win the cup.
The competition invited students in tertiary institutions in the country to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to develop technologies that can make a difference in the world. This year’s theme aligns with the Millenium Development Goals which include ending poverty, achieving universal education and gender equality. It also focuses on ensuring maternal and child health, combating HIV/AIDS, achieving environmental sustainability and growing global partnerships.
Unlike last year which had ‘health’ as common theme, this year showed a variety of ideas which cut across education, environmental sustainability, health and poverty alleviation.
Participants were each given 25 minutes to present their concept and demo, this was followed by a rigorous selection process that led to the announcement of the winners.
A visibly excited Akinbiyi Omole, a member of Team Indwell said, “Concept for our project developed out of joint passion by all three of us to change the face of African education using technology, and we started intensive research on the project about 2 years ago. Imagine Cup competition is timely by helping showcase our talents.
He opined, many more talents abound in the country and they can be nurtured to become the best on the continent only if more companies can come up with innovative programmes like Imagine Cup.”
The Imagine Cup Competition sponsored by Microsoft, leader in software, services and solutions is the world’s premier technology competition designed solely for students. Now in its eight year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global event, one that encourages young people to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to develop technologies that can make a difference in the world. More than 145 students registered for this year’s edition of the competition.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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