The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, hosted a special meet-and-greet session for a cross section of student innovators of the institution, including those who emerged winners of the Federal Government-sponsored Student Venture Capital Grant.
The interactive session, held at the Conference Room of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, brought together student-entrepreneurs to celebrate their outstanding achievements in innovation and enterprise development.
Out of over thirty (30,000) applications received nationwide, only forty five (45) innovators were selected for the highly competitive student-venture grant programme, with eight (8) winners emerging from the University of Lagos.
Celebrating a Decade of Innovation Investment
The Former Director of the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC), Professor Sunday Adebisi, who led the delegation to the meeting, described the students’ success as evidence of the University’s long-term investment in entrepreneurship and innovation.
“Your investment in student entrepreneurship and innovation over the past ten years has started yielding fruits,” he told the Vice-Chancellor, while tracing UNILAG’s current strides in innovation among Nigerian universities to pioneering efforts championed by Professor Ogunsola during her tenure as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services).
Professor Adebisi praised the Vice-Chancellor for her sustained support for student innovators, noting that such commitment has continued to place the University of Lagos on both national and global innovation maps.
UNILAG Students Shine Beyond Nigeria
Professor Adebisi also introduced a cohort of students from the Master’s in Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Management (EDIM) programme who recently represented UNILAG at an AFRETEC programme in Rwanda.
Among them was Mr. Fajembola Ademola, whose innovation secured a $75,000 grant, while other members of the team developed an insurance solution that has already attracted interest from a Nigerian company for possible adoption.
The EDIM students who represented UNILAG in Rwanda are Fajembola Ademola, Anuoluwapo Somoye, Agbato Michael, and Afolabi Sowande.
FG Representative Commends UNILAG’s Innovation Environment
Also present at the session was the Senior Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, who commended the University for fostering an environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and enterprise among students.
Addressing the beneficiaries, he said: “The President and Honourable Minister are completely convinced that the future of Nigeria is in your hands as youths. Nigeria truly believes in you, and the fifty million naira grant you have won is evidence of that confidence.”
He added that innovations capable of succeeding in Nigeria possess strong potential for acceptance across Africa and encouraged the students to remain focused and ambitious.
Deepening the Culture of Innovation
The current Director of the ESDC, Dr. Oladimeji Odetunde expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor for the confidence reposed in him through his appointment.
He pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor and disclosed plans to deepen innovation culture within the Humanities, noting that many grant-winning ideas had traditionally emerged from Engineering and Science based disciplines.
VC Charges Students to Remain Resilient
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor expressed delight at receiving the student innovators and described their achievements as a source of immense pride for the University.
“From where I sit, I am extremely proud of the University of Lagos,” she said. “I am blown away by your approach to the issues your ideas addressed because I can see they emerged from interacting with your environment.”
Professor Ogunsola explained that the University began deliberately promoting innovation, enterprise, and design thinking about a decade ago after recognising the limitations of conventional curricula in preparing students for life after graduation.
“When we started, we did not know exactly how to do it, but we believed we would succeed. Today, ten years later, you all stand as successful testimonies of that institutional belief,” she stated.
She also encouraged the students to remain resilient in the face of future challenges, reminding them that entrepreneurship demands persistence and adaptability.
“You are going to face hard times. Entrepreneurship is not easy. Some of you will be tempted to give up, while others may pivot, but what is certain is that you will emerge as people who create value and will never remain the same,” she said.
Professor Ogunsola further described Nigerians as naturally resilient and adaptable people whose experiences prepare them to thrive globally.
Beneficiaries of the Venture Grant
The student innovators who received the ₦50 million venture grants are:
1. Samuel Olamilekan Johnson (WalterSam Global Technologies Ltd)
2. Ted Bankong (Rewear)
3. Ajie Divine Favour (StocMed)
4. Umar-Faruq Adeshina (Wekoya)
5. Oluwatosin Adeyemo (Oju Systems)
6. Ekundayo David (Run-It Global Innovations)
7. Victor Olubukola (CampusShelf)
8. Sheriffdeen Ademoye (Quad Stores)
Article: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photographs: Samuel Dosumu
