• Win $7.2m worth of scholarship, 2.5m cash prize
For the second consecutive year, three students of Greensprings School have won the overall best-in-Nigeria position in the final stage of the 2024 Conrad Challenge.
Idara Attah, Imabong Apkan-Chinyere and Mirabel Njoku emerged as winners for creating an innovative phone application named ‘Juiceitup.’ The app uses an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm to recommend personalised juice-making ratios from various fruits to aid patients’ recovery from illnesses.
Their innovative project earned them scholarships valued at $894,000 and a cash prize of ₦1,500,000.
In addition to the winning team’s achievement, nine other teams from the school who made the finals received $6,400,000 worth of scholarships with the first runner-up team, also from the school, winning a cash prize of ₦1,000,000.
This came barely a year after another trio from the school, Segun Balogun, Adewale Saliu and David Onukwugha won the overall best-in-Nigeria position in the 2023 Conrad Challenge and represented Nigeria at the Global Conrad Summit at NASA’s Johnson/Kennedy Space Centre, United States.
In a statement by the school, the assistant principal of enhancement, Mr Afolabi Amusan said: “We were mindful of our position as the national winner from 2023, so, we went into this year’s challenge to defend our title. At the finals, we presented 10 teams of 35 students who had qualified from the initial stages of the competition. These students were coached and supported by a team of hardworking and dedicated teachers.
While the winners, named ‘Team Lavendaire’ clinched the overall best-in-Nigeria award, others won awards like first runner-up and best in energy and environment, which was received by ‘Team Mono,’ best in aviation and aerospace by ‘Team Kryptonite,’ and best in cyber technology and security won by ‘Team Unit.’
Amusan further disclosed that in addition to their cash prize and scholarships, Team Lavendaire would represent Nigeria in the 2024 Conrad World Summit in April at The Space Centre, Houston.
He added that other teams, such as Team Mono, which emerged first runner up received a cash prize of ₦1,000,000, while each member of the nine finalist teams was awarded $80,000 from Menlo College, U.S., $60,000 from Lewis & Clark College, U.S., and $60,000 from Clarkson University, U.S., making a total of $6,400,000 worth of scholarships for the students.
The Executive Director of Greensprings, Mrs Lai Koiki lauded the students and their mentors for the feat.
The school’s Deputy Director of Education, Mrs Feyisara Ojugo, expressed joy over the students’ achievements, adding, “We are very proud of the hard work and effort that went into this year’s challenge. Our sincere appreciation goes to the team of teachers and coaches that worked with the students.”
The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven innovation competition to create the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world.
It presents a unique opportunity for ingenious young minds in the country to collaborate, brainstorm and come up with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-enabled inventions with market potentials.
