The Offa Technology Community (OTC) has successfully concluded its pre-summit Arduino Hackathon for secondary schools.
The Community as well set an exciting tone for the upcoming Offa Technology Summit scheduled for August 22 and 23.
The multi-day training, held at the ONE Innovation Hub (ONEIH) in Offa, brought together over 80 brilliant students to explore hands-on applications of Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics.
The hackathon kicked off with an introduction to the world of Arduino, guiding students from curiosity to creativity.
They were also taught how to write and deploy code, understand cloud integration via GitHub, and master the basics of version control with Git.
By Day Two, participants were already building their own code branches in the cloud. Thus, sparking collaboration and unleashing new levels of innovation.
On Monday, August 11, the programme moved into a highly practical phase. Students revisited key electronic components, learning their functions and how to connect them safely and effectively.
They then implemented real-world systems, including LED blinking lights, a traffic control model, motion detection, and a buzzer alarm system.
Each student practiced their wiring and programming skills, with performances graded to identify the most promising talents.
On Tuesday, August 12, the atmosphere turned competitive as the top 20 students, who were selected from earlier assessments, faced off in a 20-minute hackathon challenge.
They were tasked with creating a pedestrian traffic system using LEDs, buzzers, motion sensors, and the Arduino Nano.
By the end of the session, five outstanding finalists emerged, with the winners set to be officially announced at the main summit.
Speaking after the event, Bolajoko Habeeb, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, described the hackathon as “a powerful catalyst for digital literacy and creativity among young people in Offa.”
He added that the initiative was not just about teaching technology, but about “inspiring the next generation to see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and leaders in the digital space.”
The pre-summit hackathon also featured moments of collaboration, hard work, teamwork, and innovation.
“With the summit just days away, the OTC has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering students, educators, leaders, and entrepreneurs with practical digital skills that will drive social and economic transformation in Kwara South, Kwara and Nigeria,” Bolajoko Habeeb.
