Platform College Student Awarded ₦10 Million in National IT Competition
A student from **Platform College, Ipaja, Lagos**, **Abdulhameed Boluwatife Ibrahim**, has emerged as the winner of the **Digital For All Challenge (2025)**, bagging **₦10 million** in prize money. He beat over **15,000 contestants nationwide** to claim the grand prize in the final held in Abuja.
Quick Insight: This victory is a strong signal that Nigeria’s youth are ready to make waves in tech — and that targeted ICT training in schools can yield world-class results.
1. About the Winner
• **Name:** Abdulhameed Boluwatife Ibrahim, aged 16 (Guardian report).
• **School:** Platform College, Ipaja, Lagos.
• **Competition:** Digital For All Challenge, organized by **Tech4DEV** and sponsored by the UK government.
• **Path to Victory:** He first won at Lagos State level, then won the South-West zonal stage, and finally emerged champion at the national finals.
2. The Competition & Landscape
• **Participants:** Over 15,000 contestants from across Nigeria.
• **Stages:** The competition had state and zonal levels before culminating in the grand finale in Abuja.
• **Judging Criteria:** Projects were evaluated based on innovation, technical depth, problem-solving impact, usability, and presentation (as implied by competition standards).
• **Prize & Benefits:** The ₦10 million prize is the headline reward. In addition, the win brings exposure, recognition, and validation of the student’s work and school ICT program.
3. Reactions & Statements
• **Platform Schools’ Response:** Dr. Bola Obe, proprietor of Platform Schools, celebrated the victory, saying it reaffirms the school’s mission to produce globally competitive students.
• He added that the school recently launched a **Platform Information Technology Academy (PITA)** and a new A-Level (pre-university) program to boost tech skills among students.
• **Winner’s Comments:** Abdulhameed expressed gratitude to his teachers, parents, and God, adding the competition was tough but his ICT teachers prepared him well.
Final Thoughts
Abdulhameed’s victory is more than just a cash prize — it’s a beacon for what determined young Nigerians can do in tech when given support and opportunity. Schools, government, and private sector stakeholders should amplify such wins, invest more in ICT infrastructure, and create pipelines for youth in technology. Nigeria has promising innovators waiting to be unmasked.
Tip: If you’re a student interested in tech, start small — prototype, enter contests, collaborate, document your process. Contests like Digital For All become launchpads for real careers.
