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By Iheanyi Chukwudi
A multi-disciplinary team of Nigeria students in the United States of America (USA) led by Kamdi Lee Okeke has won the star prize in the Baiada Institute Innovation Tournament/Competition.
Organised by School of Entrepreneurship of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylania, USA for the Spring of 2024, the Innovation Tournament was an all-day hackathon-style competition with idea pitching, team building, business model development and networking.
Students were given the opportunity to flex their creative problem-solving abilities, apply practical entrepreneurship skills and engage in hands-on experience in developing and pitching ideas.
A USD5000 prize was awarded to the winning entry in the the tournament, which entry is eligible for a year of incubation services at Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship of Drexel University.
There were two tournament "tracks" which included original idea track where students with new ideas competed in a track to develop and pitch their own concepts.The focus of the tournament was on developing new ideas so entries were limited to early-stage ideas with minimal prior development.
The winning entry was by the team, *Aboki Learn* led by Kamdi, a Biomedical Engineering student in Drexel University, Philadelphia, who co-opted five other Nigerian students in the United States, into the group which turned out to be a winning team, with their entry,
*Wazobia Code,* grabbing the star prize of $5000, in addition to their entry winning the eligibility for a year of incubation services at Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship.
The six-man team is made up of Tony Kabilan Okeke, Ebubechukwu Enwerem, Uzochukwu Uzo-Ojinnaka, Olaoluwakiitan Fawole, Dalu Okonkwo and Michael Moemeke
Speaking on the award, Kamdi said, "Our project, *Wazobia Code,* is a pioneering non-profit initiative dedicated to unlocking the potential of youths in sub-Sahara Africa through technology. Growing up in Nigeria, it’s very clear that we are still struggling in the early stages of our technological evolution.
However, with the progress being made in the global tech sphere comes the urgency to hasten our rate of development. It’s our belief that by equipping young people in sub-Sahara Africa with programming skills, we can begin to bridge the gap between our current state and the technological advancements seen in other parts of the world.
Continuing, he said, "We are excited to announce that, this summer, we rolled out the non-profit operations of *Wazobia Code,* a project for sub-Sahara Africa, reaching out to young people and other interested individuals to enrol for the program, a summer coding camp which is strictly online. All you need is your phone (android/ions) or computer with data to stay online.
Classes are Web based and hosted via telegram. It is free, interactive, and you will be guided as you move one. Our website is live, people indicate interest by entering their contact details at wazobiacode.com. Our mission is to transform middle and high school students, with little to no programming experience, into skilled programmers, starting off with web development.
Leveraging the accessibility of Telegram, we offer a comprehensive coding bootcamp. Our innovative approach utilizes telegrams channels and bots for course management, fostering a supportive community and enabling real-time assistance."
On the importance of the project, Kamdi said, "The program enables students not only to master different skills in programming that are of tangible importance, demonstrating their readiness to tackle real-world challenges, but Coding is the building block of the digital world, and proficiency in Coding gives one an edge in today's fast moving high-tech world. Wazobia Code is more than just a coding boot camp; it's a movement to empower the next generation of tech leaders in sub-Sahara Africa.”
Before Kamdi Okeke left for the United States, he was driven by passion for community engagement in Nigeria, having been engaged in rich tapestry of activities ranging from mentally stimulating events that bordered on social development and advocacy for youths to facilitating platforms, and relishing opportunities, that enhance youth engagement in activities beyond the classroom.
A testament to this initiative was his (alongside his two siblings) production and distribution of more than two thousand locally fabricated face-shield, a protective device, for health workers in tertiary hospitals and students in schools across his home state of Enugu, Nigeria, in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
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