David Tobiloba Adeyemi, student of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, has won the Lagos Model United Nations (LMUN) 2017 Idea Fair star prize.
The event was a three-day International Relations simulation organised by the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, to provide opportunity for participants to interact and use debates and other methods of communication to bring solution to African and international social ills. The three day conference that held from the 13th to 15th of July was themed “Innovation, Diversity and Development for Global Sustainability”.
Adeyemi, a 300 level student of Micro Biology at Ajayi Crowther University, applied for the Ideas Fair, which is a novel concept introduced as one of the events for the 2017 edition. His idea was considered the best and he was given seed capital of N200,000.
The 300 level student submitted a proposal called “Project ENERGEM” meaning (Energy Generated from Methane). It is based on how to promote sustainable living among individuals in poor and disorientated communities by providing indirect mass employment, sustainable power supply, recycled irrigation water and bio fertilizers for farmers.
The project proposes to deliver on its promises at rates two times cheaper than competing products currently in the market using Organic Waste Recycling. After extensive screening at the preliminary stage by the judges, Project ENERGEM was shortlisted amongst the top 10 final projects.
Adeyemi plans to use the seed capital to set up ENERGEM Mini Power hub in Lagos, which will commence with providing people with easy access to power to charge their phones and other electronic gadgets. He said the project will expand over time.
“We intend on partnering with state governments, the federal governments, private firms and all other possible investors. We are also going to apply for grants and all. Looking at the objectives and aims of ENERGEM, you would see that is cuts across the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we also plan to work with them” he said.
In addition to the display of diplomatic and oratory skills by the delegates during the conference, the Ideas Fair seeks to engage the entrepreneurial, problem-solving and creative minds of the delegates by requiring them to proffer solutions to issues of both national and international concern through pragmatic, sustainable and entrepreneurial projects from over 1200 youth delegates, with overwhelming potential to contribute to social change, development and sustainability in their respective localities.
In his speech at the fair Gabriel Aliu, the Secretary General for the 2017 Lagos Model United Nations (LMUN) Conference said that the LMUN has worked to put under examination issues that are more specific to the African continent. “LMUN 2017 goes further than deliberations during committee sessions and encourages innovative ideas towards the proffering solutions to specific world issues through the LMUN Ideas Fair.
STEPHEN ONYEKWELU & HEZRON ATUNDE
