By Abdullah Oladejo

Three University of Ibadan students has won first place at the 2026 ASPEX IoT Innovation Challenge, held as part of the Africa Space Expo in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The competition brought together participants from 16 African countries of Team. The three-man team (Team Orculus) consists of Joseph Alfred, a 400-level Mechanical Engineering student and Team Lead, Praise Ajulo Omojesu, an MSc student in the Department of Geology, and Oghenekevwe Oteri, a final-year Physics student, traveled to Abidjan to present their project while representing Nigeria.

Finalists from Benin, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria presented their innovations before an international judging panel at the grand finale.

Speaking with IndyPress, Joseph Alfred described the team’s winning project, Orculus, as a satellite-enabled livestock tracking system designed to help protect farmlands in rural communities where cellular network coverage is unavailable.

“The system combines smart sensor collars, satellite data relay and dynamic geofencing to monitor grazing livestock and automatically alert farmers when herds approach designated farmlands,” he said

According to him, the agro-technology is aimed at addressing farmer-herder conflicts and livestock theft by providing an alternative tracking system for areas without reliable cellular connectivity.

Following the team’s victory, the organisers awarded Team Orculus a $1,000.

In addition to the awarded price, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, promised them a sum of 1 million naira in recognition of their achievement.

He added that the team is now working towards transforming Orculus into a full-scale agritech startup.

He further stated that the team is open to partnerships with government agencies, agricultural organisations, and dairy cooperatives across Nigeria to pilot and scale the technology.