2013 Winners Emerge in Microsoft Imagine Cup Nigeria Challenge

Team Life Saver has emerged the winning team of the 2013 Microsoft Imagine Cup competition organized in partnership with Nokia, a student competition which centers on the use of imagination, creativity and technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems. Members of the team interestingly, cut across two of Nigeria’s foremost tertiary institutions, Obafemi Awolowo University and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

Imagine Cup is more than a competition. As part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, it is a way for young entrepreneurs, innovators and developers to have the opportunity to develop an idea, create a product, set a clear business plan and eventually take their product to market. All Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalist teams are eligible to apply for Imagine Cup Grants, a three year USD3-million investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality. Microsoft BizSpark, another YouthSpark initiative, enables Imagine Cup participants to launch startup businesses in their communities and across the web.

In total, 12 teams from Nigeria competed during a challenging day of presentations, which brought together students from universities across the country. Afolabi Olamide, Oluwole Michael, Akinlaja Solomon and Adewale Adeyinka, all members of Team Life Saver, competed in the category of World Citizenship. Their solution titled CardioLife is designed to tackle heart attack by monitoring heart reading on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. The solution also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.

In addition to winning the ticket to the global finals scheduled for St Petersburg, Russia in July 2013, Nokia would be giving each member of Team Life Saver its innovative smartphones, Nokia Lumia 920 devices while Dell Nigeria would present them with Dell Vestro laptops.

“We are speechless! To have won the competition – and to have the opportunity to represent our country at the Worldwide Imagine Cup along some of the brightest young minds – is an honour,” said Team Life Saver’s spokesperson, Oluwole Michael. “And we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to compete with students from around the globe who, like us, are passionate about making a difference in the world.”