A team from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, has emerged second at the 2026 AFRETEC–UNILAG Inclusive Education Innovation Challenge, winning a cash prize of ₦1.5 million for developing an artificial intelligence powered learning application.
The team, known as Team ECHO Project, earned recognition for its innovation, INCLUSILEARN AI, a digital learning application designed to improve access to curriculum-based educational content for students with speech and hearing impairments.
The competition, hosted by the University of Lagos, reportedly attracted 94 universities across West Africa, with MOUAU’s team advancing to the final 15 before securing second place.
Receiving the team, MOUAU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, expressed delight at the achievement and commended the students, project coordinator and mentor for representing the university.
Professor Akanwa reaffirmed the university management’s commitment to supporting young innovators whose ideas address societal challenges. She also disclosed that steps would be taken to secure patent protection for INCLUSILEARN AI to safeguard the university’s intellectual property.
The project coordinator, Professor Patricia Ukegbu, Head of the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and the team’s mentor, Dr Uzochukwu A. Onwuzuruike, explained that the application was developed as a three-in-one digital learning solution to make educational content more accessible to learners with sensory disabilities.
They said the innovation aims to address barriers to learning and promote greater inclusion within the education system.
According to the project coordinators, the application emerged from collaboration among the university’s Departments of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Computer Engineering and Microbiology, demonstrating the role of interdisciplinary research in developing technology-driven solutions to societal needs.
The team also pledged to improve the application’s functionality, respond more effectively to users’ needs and prepare it for public deployment.
Members of Team ECHO Project include Miss Okwunodulu Chiamaka Claire of the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics; Ukegbu Brian Chukwuebuka and Ikwueze Uchechukwu of the Department of Computer Engineering; and Miss Precious Ogwo, a sign language expert from the Department of Microbiology.
MOUAU’s performance at the competition highlights the potential of university-based innovation to address educational barriers and expand access to learning opportunities for students with disabilities.
The achievement also reinforces the importance of collaboration between students and academic staff in developing practical solutions that promote inclusive education and technological advancement.
Written by Enitan Mudashiru
