Funmi Ogundare
Nigerian entrepreneur and investor, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, has challenged young innovators to refine their business ideas ahead of the grand finale of the Teesas Startup Spark 2.0 pitch competition for children aged seven to 18, scheduled to hold on August 29.
Aboyeji made this known, Wednesday, during a mentorship session, in Lagos.
It formed part of Teesas Education’s drive to expose young learners to successful entrepreneurs capable of guiding them in transforming innovative ideas into viable businesses.
Reacting to the participants’ presentations, he described the concept as interesting and expressed eagerness to see the team’s demonstration during the final presentation.
During the mentoring session, most of the participants showcased technology-driven business ideas, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and mobile applications featuring prominently in projects spanning automotive technology, education technology, health technology and fashion technology.
One of the standout presentations came from Ugobuze Kaitochukwu, 11, whose team developed an EdTech application designed to provide learning opportunities for children in underserved communities, even without internet access.
He explained that the application uses AI to generate personalised courses in real time, allowing learners to study at their own pace while operating offline.
Another impressive innovation was presented by Aloba Oluwatoni Joel, 10, whose team proposed a self-driving, solar-powered vehicle equipped with adaptive technology and smart sensors.
Also attracting attention was a proposal by Destiny Agbodu, 16, and her team for a 24-hour drive-through café that would deploy robots to welcome customers while large digital screens handle food ordering, enabling staff to focus on meal preparation and service.
Following the mentorship, participating teams are expected to refine their ideas and submit video pitches.
Judges will shortlist three teams to compete against the top three teams from the second cohort during the Startup Spark 2.0 grand finale.
Speaking on the initiative, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Teesas Education, Izedonmwen, noted that the programme was designed to raise children who not only dream but also build innovative solutions.
“Our vision for Teesas Startup Spark is to nurture children who don’t dream, but build. The creativity demonstrated here today proves that we are on the right path,” he stated.