FUTA Medical Student Wins ₦4 Million Ondo State Grant, International Business Tour

A 400-level medical student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Daniel Segun Akinyiwola, has emerged one of the top winners of a highly competitive entrepreneurship initiative organised by the Ondo State Government.

Daniel, a student in FUTA’s Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, emerged among the top 20 entrepreneurs selected for full institutional support after a rigorous statewide competition.

The initiative was launched by the Ondo State Government in August to identify and support the best business ideas developed by indigenes of the state.

Thousands of participants from the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State took part in the competition, with 84 entrepreneurs eventually advancing to the final pitch stage.

Daniel secured his place among the top winners with his health-tech startup, Golden Hour.

Golden Hour is designed to address a critical gap in healthcare logistics by helping emergency patients identify the nearest hospital with the capacity to treat their specific medical condition.

Following his selection, Daniel received a ₦4,000,000 grant, alongside a fully sponsored international business trip and tour, a 12-month idea incubation programme, expert mentoring and the full backing of the Ondo State Government to launch the venture.

The ₦4 million award cheque was formally presented to Daniel by the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olayide Adelami, during a ceremony held on 19 September 2026 at the Dome Event Center in Akure.

With funding and government support secured, Daniel is now taking the opportunity back to the FUTA community as Golden Hour moves into full-scale development.

As part of the next phase of the project, he is seeking a highly skilled student developer to join the venture as its Technical Lead.

The opportunity is open to developers interested in co-building a funded, government-backed startup from the ground up.

To assess applicants based on their technical capabilities rather than conventional qualifications, interested developers have been instructed to bypass standard resumes.

Applicants are required to submit:

• A brief professional introduction;
• A link to their GitHub profile; and
• A direct link to the most complex live project they have built.

Applications should be sent directly to akinyiwoladaniel@gmail.com.

Reacting to the achievement, the Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Professor Adenike Oladiji, described Daniel’s success as a significant boost to the entrepreneurial drive of students and graduates of the university.

“This is a big win for Daniel and we celebrate him for this monumental achievement and for proving that FUTA students do not just participate in the future—they build it,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

She added that the university would continue to equip its students to become job-ready and develop solutions that create impact in their communities and society at large.