The annual competition features two main initiatives: the Battery Innovation Challenge and the Core Program, designed to empower university students to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that address pressing community needs. This initiative forms part of Schneider Electric’s ongoing commitment to training one million students by 2025, a goal it continues to advance through impactful partnerships in education and entrepreneurship.
Present at the national finals were key stakeholders including Ajibola Akindele, MFR, Country President, Schneider Electric; Michael Ajayi, Country Director, Enactus Nigeria; Funmilayo Olakitan, Access to Education Project Coordinator, Schneider Electric; Omobolanle Omotayo, Marketing Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric; Adebayo Agbaje, Business Development Manager, A2E, Schneider Electric amongst other representatives.
This year’s competition brought together over 33 universities across Nigeria, federal, state, and private, who participated in both the Core Program and the Battery Innovation Challenge. Preparations spanned over a year, with student teams designing community-based solutions that promote sustainable waste recycling and battery efficiency.
Ajibola Akindele, Country President, Schneider Electric Nigeria, highlighted Schneider Electric’s role in training youths to be future ready, “Contributing our quota toward upskilling youths for the future is a key priority at Schneider. One of our core values is impact. Young people across communities are solving real problems, and our role is to support and empower them to do so on a bigger scale,” he said.
In the Battery Innovation Challenge, three institutions emerged as top winners. Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JoSTUM) secured first place with ENERGIV, Energiv converts plastic waste into carbon nanotubes to enhance lithium-ion batteries, improving conductivity and lifespan. Ahmadu Bello University took second place with Cell Matrix, a smart battery management system (BMS) using machine learning and embedded sensors to monitor battery health, detect anomalies, and optimize charging cycles. Kaduna Polytechnic came third with SmartVolt, an adaptive charging algorithm using real-time sensor data to intelligently manage charging speeds, thereby extending battery lifespan and reducing energy waste.
Schneider Electric sponsored the Battery Innovation Award, with winners receiving €2,000 for first place, €1,500 for second place, and €1,000 for third place.
After clinching first place in the Battery Innovation Challenge, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JoSTUM) once again emerged National Champion of the Enactus Core Program with its sustainable initiative, BettaCoal Energies. BettaCoal Energies is a startup transforming local cooking and food packaging with three key solutions: smokeless briquettes, an improved air-circulating stove for faster cooking, and biodegradable food containers for restaurants. It aims to improve rural health, create jobs in underserved communities, and boost the profitability of small food businesses.
As the winner of the National Core Program, JOSTUM will represent Enactus Nigeria at the Enactus World Cup 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, from 25-28 September.
Funmilayo Olakitan, Access to Education Coordinator, Schneider Electric West Africa, added, “It was truly rewarding to see how forward-thinking these youths are, developing entrepreneurial and business skills that will equip them for the future. For Schneider Electric, this is more than a partnership, it’s part of our long-term commitment to train 1 million youths by 2025 and directly contributes to SDGs 7, 11, and 12.”
Michael Ajayi, Country Director, Enactus Nigeria, noted, “The energy, creativity, and commitment demonstrated by these students reflect the power of youth-led innovation in addressing real-world challenges. Through our partnership with Schneider Electric, we are not only building capacity but also inspiring a generation to take bold steps toward a more sustainable and equitable future. This competition is a clear example of how collaboration between the private sector and academia can drive lasting impact.”
Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.
Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.
We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.
We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.
