Nigerian Engineering Olympiad: IUO Students Makes Regional Finals

Two students of Igbinedion University Okada have qualified for the Regional Stage of the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO) with their innovative project titled “SMART-FLARE AI-Enabled Gas Capture and Monetization System.”

In a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, PhD, FAS, the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad Management Team announced that Esther Anene and Aigbe-Edebor Gaius, both Petroleum Engineering students, advanced following a highly competitive national review process. Their innovation uses artificial intelligence to capture and monetize flared gas, addressing a major environmental and economic challenge in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The Igbinedion University, Okada, team will compete against four other top regional teams at the next event in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from April 19–21, 2026. Top-performing teams will advance to the bootcamp stage of the Olympiad.

To support prototype development ahead of the competition, the NEO has awarded the team a ₦3,000,000 grant, which also covers logistics, accommodation, and feeding during the regional event.

The Nigerian Engineering Olympiad was established to identify, nurture, and promote high-impact engineering innovations from undergraduate and postgraduate students across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.