University of Jos Students Win 70m Grant for AI-Powered Farm Robot

Students of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Jos have won a total of ₦70 million after emerging among the top performers at the maiden Nigeria Engineering Olympiad with an artificial intelligence-powered agricultural innovation.

The students, who competed under the banner of Team Fortizo, developed a solar-powered robotic device capable of detecting diseases affecting crops such as potato, maize and ginger, enabling farmers to identify infections early and reduce crop losses.

The innovation earned the team a ₦20 million startup grant, while the University of Jos received laboratory equipment worth ₦50 million for its Faculty of Engineering in recognition of the achievement.

The university described the feat as a major milestone in promoting innovation and research-driven solutions to challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

It also announced plans to collaborate with Team Fortizo to commercialise the AI-powered farm robot, with the aim of making the technology available to farmers and supporting increased agricultural productivity.

The Nigeria Engineering Olympiad is designed to encourage engineering innovation and provide young Nigerian inventors with opportunities to develop commercially viable solutions to national challenges.