For demonstrating exceptional innovation, teamwork and technological excellence by emerging as Africa’s best and fourth globally at the AI for Good 2026 Robotics for Good Youth Challenge in Geneva, the students of Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, represented by Team Bright Stars, have been named winners of the Outstanding Young Person of the Year 2026 award.
When four students from Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, for the Good Youth Challenge Robotics Global Competition, they carried more than a school project. They carried the hopes of a country seeking to prepare its young people for a technology-driven future.
Representing Nigeria as Team Bright Stars, the students — Moshood Faozan Oladokun, Abubakar Akbar Adinoyi, Ojini Chibuike King David and Abubakar Naylaa Ohunene — competed in the junior category against teams from other countries. They achieved an impressive fourth-place global finish and were named the best team in Africa.
Their success was built on months of coding, research, practical training and teamwork, with their project focusing on robotic solutions to real-world challenges in agriculture and safety.
At the heart of the team was Moshood Faozan Oladokun, the team leader. His responsibilities extended beyond technical participation to include coordinating his colleagues, encouraging collaboration and ensuring the team remained focused under pressure.
Oladokun demonstrated leadership, confidence, communication and problem-solving throughout the demanding preparation and competition. He said the team had mentally prepared itself for the higher level of competition it expected to face abroad.
“We knew before travelling that what we had been practising in Nigeria would be different from what we would encounter there, so we prepared ourselves mentally. Once we arrived, we adjusted quickly,” he said.
His leadership helped the team navigate an unfamiliar international environment while remaining focused on its objective.
Behind the robot’s intelligence was Abubakar Akbar Adinoyi, the team’s programmer. Adinoyi developed, tested and refined the programmes that controlled the robot and enabled it to perform the tasks required for the competition.
His role required logical thinking, creativity, attention to detail and persistence. He had to translate the team’s ideas into functional instructions, identify programming problems and continually refine the system until it worked effectively.
While Adinoyi gave the robot its intelligence, Ojini Chibuike King David, the team builder, gave it a physical form.
David was responsible for constructing, assembling, testing and improving the robot. Working closely with the programmers and other team members, he ensured the machine’s physical design could effectively perform the required tasks.
The process demanded patience, creativity, technical skill and resilience, particularly when adjustments were required. For David, the moment the team achieved global recognition was unforgettable.
“I was very happy and grateful. It was an unforgettable moment,” he said.
The team’s fourth member, Abubakar Naylaa Ohunene, served as the researcher and presenter. She investigated the competition’s challenges, contributed ideas to the team’s solution, and helped communicate the team’s research and innovation to the judges.
Her role required strong research, communication and presentation skills. By explaining the team’s work clearly and confidently, she helped ensure that the innovation was not only built but also effectively understood and appreciated.
For Ohunene, the international experience itself was memorable. “Everything was beautiful. It was wonderful,” she said.
The students’ achievement reflects a deliberate effort by the school’s principal, Abubakar Ajayi Ozovehe, to move beyond conventional classroom education and expose learners to technology, sport and other activities that help them discover their talents.
For Team Bright Stars, Geneva may have been a competition, but it was also a defining educational experience. Moshood, Akbar, David and Ohunene returned not only as Africa’s best junior team, but also as four young Nigerians with a broader vision of what they could achieve.
The Young Innovators Behind Nigeria’s Global Robotics Success
Meet the young innovators behind Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa’s remarkable performance at the ‘Good Youth Challenge Robotics Global Competition’ in Geneva, Switzerland, where Team Bright Stars placed fourth globally and was best in Africa.
Moshood Faozan Oladokun-Team Leader
Oladokun is a talented young innovator who served as the Team Leader of the school’s robotics team and represented Nigeria at the Good Youth Challenge Robotics Global Competition in Geneva, Switzerland.
Moshood coordinated his teammates, encouraged collaboration, and helped the team stay focused throughout the demanding competition. He demonstrated confidence, responsibility, effective communication, problem-solving skills, and the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
His commitment to leading the team through rigorous preparation and competition significantly contributed to his school and country’s successful representation on the global stage.
Abubakar Akbar Adinoyi-Team Programmer
Adinoyi Akbar is a promising young technology enthusiast who served as the Programmer for the school’s robotics team.
Akbar was responsible for developing, testing and refining the programmes that controlled the team’s robot and enabled it to respond effectively to the competition’s challenges. He demonstrated strong logical thinking, attention to detail, creativity and persistence in identifying and solving programming problems. His ability to translate the team’s ideas into functional robotic solutions was a key factor in the team’s overall performance.
Ojini Chibuike King David-Team Builder
Ojini Chibuike King David is a young innovator who served as the Team Builder.
David was responsible for the physical construction, assembly, testing and improvement of the team’s robot. He worked closely with the programmers and other team members to ensure the robot’s design could perform the required tasks effectively.
Throughout the competition, he demonstrated creativity, technical ability, patience, resilience and practical problem-solving skills, making adjustments and improvements to the robot.
Abubakar Naylaa Ohunene-Researcher/Presenter
Ohunene is a bright and enthusiastic young innovator who served as the team’s Researcher and Presenter.
She contributed to the team’s research by investigating the challenge, developing ideas and supporting the team’s overall solution. She also played an important role in communicating the team’s ideas, research findings and innovations to judges and other participants through confident and effective presentations.
Her strong communication, research, creativity and teamwork skills helped the team articulate and present its work on the international stage.
