WiFi Combat Academy Empowers Teen Innovators, as Winners Emerge
Funmi Ogundare
Winners have emerged at the WiFi Combat Academy Teen Techpreneurship 2025 Pitch the Idea competition, aimed at empowering and equipping teenagers with entrepreneurial and digital innovation skills by encouraging them to identify real-world problems and pitch tech-driven business solutions.
The event, held recently in Lagos and attended by students aged between 13 and 17, celebrated youth-driven innovation and emphasised the critical role of the younger generation in shaping the future.
With its Affordable Energy Solutions (AES), team Eco Circle emerged the winner with 403 points. The team created a three-enegy powered generator that uses solar, hydroelectricity and waste for energy.
Team Surge came second with 400 points with the initiative in providing clean energy through pressure generated from walking (WATTWALK).
Team Fresh came third with 398 points with the initiative of turning waste to energy.
Founder of WiFi Combat Academy, Dele Tejuoso, explained that the competition has the objective of fostering creativity, critical thinking, and early engagement in the tech and startup ecosystem, helping teens to build confidence, gain mentorship and develop practical experience in pitching ideas that could evolve into scalable ventures.
She emphasised on the launch of its e-learning platform built with support from the MasterCard Foundation, prioritizing career-specific pathways in tech for young Africans. She said that the platform was designed not just to teach digital skills, but to equip students with a clear trajectory towards professional roles in coding, gaming, multimedia, AI, robotics and tech entrepreneurship.
“It’s not just about learning to code; it’s about understanding where that skill can take you, whether it’s software development, UI/UX design, gaming, or starting your own tech company.”
According to her, some of the academy’s recent efforts include training students in game development and launching one of Nigeria’s first gaming incubator funds.
Tejuoso also harped on inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship among teens, drawing from her own journey and emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, teamwork, and belief in one’s ideas.
“Any innovation you’re passionate about, even beyond tech, we will provide the ecosystem to grow it,” she added, encouraging students to participate in global competitions like Technovation and Conrad.
The guest speaker, Moyo Asubiojo, General Manager of Edutech Advanced Business Technologies, called on the young innovators to challenge themselves, seek solutions to real-world problems, and envision themselves as the future leaders and problem-solvers of the world.
She advised students not to see challenges at school as obstacles but as opportunities to develop meaningful solutions. “Before any business is born, there must be a problem it seeks to solve,” she said. “Why not start now, right from your schools to develop solutions to the challenges you face?”
Highlighting the rapid pace of technological advancements, particularly in fields like artificial intelligence and renewable energy, Asubiojo stressed the importance of early innovation and research. “Your generation has the potential to revolutionise the world. In the next 10 years, the landscape will change drastically, and you must be ready to lead those changes,” she stated.
Asubiojo encouraged the young participants to continue refining their projects beyond the event, to conduct further research, publish their findings, and build on their innovations. She also commended the students for their outstanding presentations, and urged them to keep dreaming big and striving for excellence.
