Two students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology have achieved remarkable recognition on the international stage by emerging as Top 5 Finalists in the prestigious WEGE Prize 2026 competition, representing Nigeria nationwide. The team’s innovative solution earned them a $2,500 Finalist Award Prize.

The students, Taiwo Temitayo Amoo, a 500-level Mechanical Engineering student, and Bello Abdullahi Adeoye, a 400-level Electrical and Electronics Engineering student, participated as members of the multidisciplinary team, Unithread Ecohusk.

The WEGE Prize, organized by the Kendall College of Art and Design with support from the The WEGE Foundation, is an annual international competition focused on developing innovative solutions for a sustainable circular economy.

The Unithread Ecohusk team was led by Oluwatayo Michael Ayodele, a Physiotherapy student of the University of Medical Sciences, and also included Boluwatife Blessing Ajewole, a Physiotherapy student of the same institution, alongside Emmanuel Beyamu, an Actuarial Science student from the University of Malawi combining expertise in engineering, healthcare, finance, and research. Their project addressed environmental challenges caused by cocoa husk waste and untreated textile dye wastewater in West Africa. Through a circular system, discarded cocoa husks were converted into activated charcoal for wastewater filtration, while the resulting biochar was reused as organic fertilizer for farming.

This achievement reflects the culture of excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness being fostered at LAUTECH, while also showcasing the capacity of Nigerian students to develop impactful solutions to pressing environmental and sustainability challenges