At the 2026 AFRETEC-UNILAG Inclusive Education Innovation Challenge Grand Finale, inclusion was not merely discussed—it was demonstrated.
Leading the winning Team Omega was Miss Oluwakemi Aladesanmi, a woman living with disability, who guided her team to victory with Omnisight, a hands-free, zero-cost digital navigation solution designed to support learners with motor disabilities.
Her emergence as leader of the winning team embodied the central goal of the challenge: proving that when barriers are removed and opportunities are made accessible, persons with disabilities can become innovators, problem-solvers and leaders.
Team Omega of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) emerged as the overall winner of the competition with 71 points after a four-month innovation journey.
The victory came at the Grand Finale of the AFRETEC-UNILAG Inclusive Education Innovation Challenge 3.0, held on August 27, 2026, at the UNILAG Design Studio, Akoka.
From Challenge to Championship
The challenge attracted 94 entries from teams across Nigeria and Ghana, all responding to a fundamental question: how can innovation and technology be harnessed to make education more inclusive and accessible?
Following a rigorous selection process and a specialised bootcamp, 15 teams from 13 universities earned places at the Grand Finale, where they presented solutions aimed at addressing barriers confronting learners.
When the final scores were announced, Team Omega emerged as the overall winner with 71 points.
The Innovation That Won the Day
Team Omega developed Omnisight, a hands-free, zero-cost digital navigation solution designed to support learners with motor disabilities.
The innovation seeks to help users navigate educational environments more independently without the need for expensive assistive devices.
Beyond the technology itself, Omnisight represented a practical response to one of the most pressing questions in inclusive education: how can learning environments become more accessible to all?
More Than a Competition
The AFRETEC-UNILAG challenge was designed to do more than identify winners.
According to the Acting Director of the Innovation and Technology Management Office (ITMO), UNILAG, and Team Lead of Pathways to Opportunities, AFRETEC-UNILAG, Dr. Olayinka Adewumi, participants underwent mentorship, entrepreneurship training, innovation workshops and solution-development sessions.
The finalists also participated in an intensive bootcamp where they refined their ideas, strengthened their business models and explored pathways for scaling their innovations beyond the competition.
The programme focused on helping participants move from concepts to solutions capable of delivering real-world impact.
Innovation Meets Inclusion
The Grand Finale showcased a wide range of innovations addressing educational barriers.
Participants presented assistive technologies for blind and deaf learners, AI-powered learning platforms, real-time lecture captioning systems, Nigerian Sign Language solutions and accessibility tools for learners with disabilities.
Projects showcased included ARIA, EduSense, EchoDesk, InclusiLearn AI, EduSign AI, SignBridge AI, LearnBridge Assist and several others.
Together, the innovations demonstrated that inclusive education requires multiple solutions tailored to different needs.
UNILAG’s Growing Innovation Culture
The competition also highlighted the University of Lagos’ expanding innovation ecosystem.
Representatives of the various AFRETEC pillars, university management, technology hubs, entrepreneurship centres and research units attended the event, underscoring the institution’s commitment to linking education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, the Dean of Engineering, Prof. Samson Adeosun, praised the quality of ideas presented and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to supporting innovations capable of addressing societal challenges.
The event further demonstrated how UNILAG is positioning itself as a place where knowledge is transformed into practical solutions.
A Victory Bigger Than the Trophy
While Team Omega’s innovation impressed the judges, the significance of the victory extended beyond technology.
At the centre of the winning team was a woman living with disability leading a solution designed to make education more accessible and inclusive.
That reality transformed the competition’s message from theory into practice.
It showed that inclusion is not simply about creating solutions for persons with disabilities. It is also about creating opportunities for them to lead, innovate and shape those solutions themselves.
In many ways, Team Omega’s triumph became one of the most powerful illustrations of what inclusive innovation can achieve when talent, opportunity and support come together.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.