By Charles Maduka
Two students from the University of Lagos, Unilag, Oluwatoyin Odulana and Imisioluwa Aliya Onafeso, have won the Gold Prize at the 2024 SDG Olympiad in Paris, France. Odulana and Onafeso are both postgraduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Geography, respectively. They represented the University of Lagos against students from twelve universities worldwide.
The students competed as “Team PlastiConn,” presenting an idea to connect communities with plastic collection centres. Their project focuses on making it easier for people to drop off plastic waste, helping to keep the environment clean. This idea supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for “Responsible Consumption and Production.”
The SDG Olympiad, which took place in Paris, is a global event that encourages students to find solutions to environmental and health problems. This year, it included teams from four continents. The Silver Prize went to Team QMorjan from New York University Abu Dhabi for their project on coral restoration, while the Bronze Prize went to Team Planetary Predictor from the University of Geneva for a project to teach climate change in schools.
Team PlastiConn’s idea was praised for its positive impact on the environment. Their solution could help reduce plastic waste and pollution by making it easier for people to recycle. The team’s goal is to create a cleaner world by connecting communities with local plastic collection centres.
The project was guided by their staff advisor, Dr. Peter Elias, a lecturer in the Department of Geography at Unilag. Team PlastiConn also worked with other groups, including the Unilag Green Hub and UNICEF, to make their project successful. This teamwork showed the importance of collaboration in solving significant problems.
Unilag’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, congratulated Team PlastiConn on their success. She encouraged them to keep working on their ideas and said their victory is a proud moment for the university. This win shows that Unilag students are ready to make a difference in the world.
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