The Students Agric Business Entrepreneurship Drive Initiatives (SAEDI) Competition recently crowned a remarkable team from the Faculty as its latest winners, taking home a prize of ₦1,000,000. The winning team is made up of four students Akinola Akinjide, Adeoti Ololanimi, Animashaun Temitayo, and Godwin Obinna, the team's sole Agriculture student whose collaborative effort and well-crafted proposal set them apart from the competition. We had an interview with one of the team members to hear the story behind their journey to victory.
What inspired your interest in agriculture and veterinary medicine?
Jide Jude: I ventured into agriculture because of my passion for both research and business, especially business. My thinking has always been that studying veterinary medicine should open doors beyond the clinic. I should be able to manage a farm, diversify into different areas. At some point, I tagged along with a friend who introduced me to the practical side of things, and from there, I caught the bug and started my own farm.
How did you first hear about this grant opportunity?
Jide Jude: Through a friend from church, actually. He was part of the SAEDI network and pointed me in the right direction.
What project or idea earned you the grant?
Jide Jude: We're focused on the poultry sector. The core idea is to train students in animal-related courses so they can confidently handle birds and run farms of their own. It also aligns with what the Dean of Veterinary Medicine has been pushing for, giving students more hands-on, practical experience rather than just theoretical knowledge.
Why do you think your proposal stood out among other applicants?
Jide Jude: Honestly, I think it was mainly the executive summary. I put a tremendous amount of work into it. I reached out to people more specialized than me, my lecturers, professionals in the field, and my teammates were incredibly supportive throughout. But I think what truly set us apart was the emphasis on empowerment. A lot of applicants spoke about their ideas in isolation. We went further and addressed how we intended to build the entrepreneurial capacity of the people involved. That seemed to resonate with the judges.
How competitive was the selection process?
Jide Jude: it was quite fair, three stages in total. The first round narrowed the pool down to ten applicants. The second stage involved an interview, and from that, the presentation where the first three were chosen.
What challenges did you face while applying for the grant?
Jide Jude: I won't say there were many, to be honest. The biggest factor was simply being a student, juggling academic responsibilities alongside the application process. I even designed the executive summary in class. But beyond that, the process was manageable. I had people reviewing my work, and my lecturers were very accessible and helpful throughout.
Did you ever doubt yourself during the process?
Jide Jude: No, not really. I had a strong belief that we were going to win this. We put together video submissions, did our research, and I felt prepared. Someone did mention at some point that there were a lot of submissions coming in, but that didn't shake me much.
Now, the night before the presentation? (Laughs) That's a different story. I was so exhausted I fell asleep, and apparently I was so wound up about it that I cried in my dream, and the tears were real when I woke up. I wasn't even sure what was happening. It was quite the moment.
How do you think your project can benefit farmers or the community?
Jide Jude: It's primarily aimed at students who aspire to become farmers. The idea is that they learn directly from us, gain real hands-on experience, and go out into the world already equipped, not starting from scratch.
What skills do you think helped you succeed?
Jide Jude: Failure, honestly. I've applied for several things in the past that didn't work out, and one of my lecturers once told me that the most valuable thing about applying for opportunities isn't always whether you win, it's what you take away from the process. That stuck with me. I also put in the time to educate myself, watching videos, reading, constantly trying to improve my approach.
Finally, what was the most memorable part of this journey?
Jide Jude: Winning, without question. (Smiles) But beyond that, knowing that this project will actually come to life. For me, this is one of the most meaningful steps toward genuinely empowering students with practical skills, and that means everything.
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