Unilag Students Win Gold at 2024 SDG Olympiad in Paris

By Charles Maduka

Oluwatoyin Odulana and Imisioluwa Onafeso, two students from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), have won the gold prize at the 2024 SDG Olympiad in Paris, France.

Odulana and Onafeso are postgraduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Geography respectively. Competing as ‘Team PlastiConn’, they represented UNILAG against students from twelve universities worldwide.

The students presented an idea to connect communities with plastic collection centers. Their project intends to make it easier for people to drop off plastic waste, thus helping to keep the environment clean. This idea supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for responsible consumption and production.

The SDG Olympiad 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 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 centers.

Dr. Peter Elias, a lecturer in the Department of Geography at UNILAG, guided the project as their staff advisor. Team PlastiConn also worked with other groups, including UNILAG’s Green Hub and UNICEF, on the project.

Responding to the win, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, congratulated Team PlastiConn on their success.

She noted that their victory is a proud moment for the university and encouraged them to keep working on their ideas.