Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), is proudly represented in the national spotlight as two of its students, Friday Chizam Joshua and Oboayes Omoregle, have been named top finalists in the 2025 National Enterprise Challenge.
Their innovative business idea, “Uni-Market IUO,” a dedicated online marketplace for Nigerian university students, secured them a place among the top three teams from the South-South region. They will compete in the national Grand Finale, hosted virtually on Wednesday, 19th November 2025.
The announcement, made on the official competition flyer under the heading “CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SOUTH-SOUTH FINALISTS!”, places the IUO team alongside two other innovative ideas 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, which will be held via Zoom from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, feature significant prize money. The winning team will receive N1,000,000, with the second and third prizes set at N750,000 and N500,000, respectively. The event is hosted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Uni-Market IUO is designed to create a safe, efficient, and user-friendly trading ecosystem for students across Nigerian campuses. A key feature of the platform is its integrated escrow-style payment protection system, which holds a buyer’s funds securely until they confirm receipt of their item, thereby building trust and reducing the risk of fraud.
This achievement highlights the potent combination of skills from different disciplines, with Friday from Computer Science and Oboayes from Nursing collaborating to create a practical digital solution for a common campus challenge.
The entire academic community wishes the team the best of luck as they present their groundbreaking platform for a chance to win the national title. The live event can be joined via the link: https://bit/INECFinals2025.
About the National Enterprise Challenge:
The National Enterprise Challenge, sponsored by the National Universities Commission (NUC), is a prestigious initiative designed to foster entrepreneurship and innovation among university students in Nigeria, encouraging them to develop viable business ideas that address real-world problems.
