A University of Lagos student has emerged winner of the 2026 Red Bull Basement Nigeria competition with a smart livestock tracking device. The innovation focuses on helping farmers detect illness early and reduce losses.
Jesutofunmi Oniyide, a final-year Mechatronics Engineering student, beat over 3,000 participants with his solution, Vital-Tag. The global Red Bull Basement programme supports student innovators with mentorship and exposure, rewarding ideas that can solve real-world problems.
Oniyide’s project addresses a major challenge in livestock farming—unexpected animal deaths. His device, worn around an animal’s neck, tracks key health indicators like temperature, heart rate, and jaw movement. The data is then sent to farmers via SMS, allowing them to monitor animal health without constant physical checks.
These indicators are commonly used by veterinarians to assess livestock condition. Changes in temperature and heart rate often signal early stages of illness, while reduced jaw movement can indicate feeding issues, another early warning sign.
However, the system isn’t without limitations. Factors like stress, heat, or physical activity can affect readings, making it important for the device to establish normal patterns for each animal and flag unusual changes rather than isolated spikes.
One standout feature of Vital-Tag is its battery life. Oniyide claims the device can run for up to three years without charging, thanks to an industrial-grade nickel-based battery. In practice, such longevity depends heavily on power efficiency, with the device likely operating in low-power modes and sending data at intervals instead of continuously.
Beyond the winning project, other finalists also presented notable ideas. Navidyne, developed by engineering students, focuses on underwater robots that detect and repair oil pipeline leaks, aiming to reduce environmental damage. Another project, Liferoute AI, built by medical students, helps ambulances find faster routes and directs them to hospitals with lower patient loads to improve emergency response times.
While it remains to be seen which of these ideas will scale into full businesses, they reflect a growing wave of student-led innovation in Nigeria. With increasing support, including government grants for young entrepreneurs, more solutions like these could move from concept to real-world impact.
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