Seven students of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) have emerged second at the Enactus Nigeria National Competition and Julius Berger Innovation Challenge held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The UNICROSS team, comprising students from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering and Civil Engineering, earned the second-place position with an innovative workplace safety solution designed to improve compliance with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The national competition featured 18 Enactus teams drawn from 27 universities across Nigeria, with the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) emerging first, UNICROSS placing second and the University of Calabar (UNICAL) finishing third.
Representing Team Enactus UNICROSS, the students impressed the judges with B.U.D.D.Y. (Built-in UHF Detection & Defense for You), an intelligent PPE compliance system that combines Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered computer vision.
The innovation is designed to identify workers, verify their registered safety equipment and monitor, in real time, whether the required PPE is being properly worn.
By integrating identification technology with AI-powered visual monitoring, B.U.D.D.Y. offers an intelligent approach to one of the persistent challenges in industrial environments, ensuring that workers consistently comply with prescribed safety requirements and use the appropriate protective equipment.
The seven students who pitched the innovation at the national competition are Donald Oliver and William Mfon-Abasi of Civil Engineering; Effiom Johnpaul Oliver and Kingsley Ugochukwu of Electrical/Electronic Engineering; and Ntongha Udumo, Blessing Aniedi Okon and Odey Roberta of Mechanical Engineering.
The students’ performance was attributed to their creativity, dedication and commitment, as well as the mentorship and guidance provided by Engr. Dr. Samuel Oliver Effiom and the Acting Head of the Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Engr. Dr. Gerthrude Fisher.
The feat also underscores the growing emphasis on innovation, practical learning and problem-solving at UNICROSS under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey.
The University Management has continued to encourage students and staff to transform academic knowledge and creativity into practical solutions capable of addressing real-world societal and industrial challenges.
The second-place finish therefore represents a significant achievement for UNICROSS, demonstrating the capacity of its students to compete favourably on national platforms while developing innovative solutions to pressing industrial challenges.
The University congratulated the seven students, their mentors and the entire Team Enactus UNICROSS on the achievement, expressing confidence that continued development of the B.U.D.D.Y. innovation would yield even greater impact.
By Kingsley Agim
