By Adenuga Toheeb Ayoola
The Mechatronics Department of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) has recorded a remarkable achievement at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Nigeria National Finals 2026, held at The Podium, Lekki, Lagos, winning first place in three competition categories and third place in another category.
The World Robot Olympiad is an international robotics competition that encourages young people to develop creativity, problem-solving abilities, and engineering skills through practical robotics challenges. The annual competition serves as a platform for participants to design, build, and program robots while promoting Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) education and technological innovation.
The competition was organised by Arc Light Foundation and WRO Nigeria, with support from Google, Camden Education Trust, Oando Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and SecuredData.
Speaking with the President of the Mechatronics Department, Comrade Chukwuemeka Christopher, he described the victory as a proud moment for both the department and the university, saying “It shows that our students have the talent and potential to compete and succeed at the national level if we get all the support required,”
In the Robocan category, Team Ella, led by Adenaike Samuel, with Famakinwa Adedeji as a member, emerged champions. Team Arcrover, led by Jimoh Khalilulah, alongside Ibidun Aliyah, finished third in the Future Innovators Senior category. Team Astrocraft, led by Tife Alimi, with Ogunleye Emmanuel as a member, secured first place in the Astrocraft category. In the Electric Car Racing category, Ogunleye Emmanuel led Taiwo Jadesola and Fortune to victory as the team emerged champions.
Commenting on the team’s preparation, Christopher said the students held regular meetings, brainstormed ideas, and continuously tested and improved their robots ahead of the competition. “We prepared through regular meetings, brainstorming sessions, and continuous testing and improvement of our robots. It took a lot of practice and learning from our mistakes. Our department gave us great support, while the university provided an enabling environment that motivated us to represent LASUSTECH with confidence,” he said.
Christopher attributed the team’s success to lessons learned from last year’s competition, where they failed to secure a victory. “We competed last year and didn’t win, but that experience motivated us to work harder, improve, and come back stronger this year,” he said. He also disclosed that the team’s coach, Dr. Engr. Balogun Wasiu, was delighted with the students’ performance and proud of their achievements.
According to Christopher, the department will continue supporting the team through training, mentorship, and participation in future robotics competitions while encouraging more students to embrace robotics and innovation.
He went forward to advise the students not to be discouraged by setbacks but to remain committed, keep learning, and believe in themselves, stressing that persistence and determination can lead to success. Hence, with the impressive performance at the national finals, LASUSTECH has further strengthened its reputation as one of Nigeria's emerging institutions in robotics, engineering innovation, and technological excellence.
So proud of you guys ✨
ReplyDeleteGood one, guys.
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