Igbinedion University Students Advance To National Enterprise Challenge Grand Finale With “Uni-Market IUO”
Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO) has earned national recognition as two of its students, Friday Chizam Joshua and Oboayes Omoregle, secured a top-three position in the South-South zone of the 2025 National Enterprise Challenge with their project, “Uni-Market IUO.”
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Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO) has earned national recognition as two of its students, Friday Chizam Joshua and Oboayes Omoregle, secured a top-three position in the South-South zone of the 2025 National Enterprise Challenge with their project, “Uni-Market IUO.”
Their entry, an online marketplace tailored for university students, will represent both IUO and the region at the Grand Finale scheduled to hold virtually on Wednesday, 19 November 2025. The South-South finalists were announced on the official competition flyer under the banner “Congratulations To The South-South Finalists!”
IUO’s team will compete against two other regional finalists from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State: “Multi-Factor School Pick Up Intelligence (MF-SPUI)” by Ani Ijeoma Clara and “The People’s Assembly (TPA)” by Kalaiyo Godwin Mathias.
The national finals will run on Zoom from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with substantial prizes on offer. The winning team will receive N1,000,000, while the second- and third-placed teams will receive N750,000 and N500,000 respectively. The competition is organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“Uni-Market IUO” is structured to provide a secure and efficient trading ecosystem for students, integrating an escrow-style payment protection system that holds buyer funds until items are confirmed delivered. This feature aims to reduce fraud, enhance accountability, and strengthen trust across campus markets.
The project also reflects a strong interdisciplinary collaboration, with Friday representing Computer Science and Oboayes representing Nursing—combining technical expertise and problem-solving insight to produce a practical digital solution for everyday student needs.
The university community anticipates a strong showing as the team competes for the national title. The event is accessible to the public through the Zoom link provided on the competition flyer.
The National Enterprise Challenge, an initiative of the NUC, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship across Nigerian universities by challenging students to design functional business solutions addressing real-world problems.
