“I feel great and honored to have been selected by my school to participate in the Animation Hub competition,” said Aroloye Goodluck, a student of Testimony College, Lagos, after winning the just-concluded interschool Animation and Artificial Intelligence Competition.
The event was organized by Animation Hub with support from First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
Goodluck emerged victorious from a pool of over 900 participants. Abdusalam Akapo and Jubilee Ogbeie were named first and second runners-up, respectively.
Reflecting on his achievement, Goodluck attributed his success to dedication and perseverance.
“My goal was not just to win but to gain knowledge and build a foundation in animation. This competition gave me the opportunity to do both,” he said.
In his opening address, During the opening address, Abraham Samuel, , set the tone by applauding the dedication and enthusiasm of the students. “We are here to celebrate the outstanding creativity and hard work of our students,” he remarked, welcoming the audience to the ceremony.
“Over the last week, we have created the Top 10 Animation Projects, which showcase not only technical skill but storytelling ability as well.”
Samuel emphasized that the initiative provides students with essential skills beyond animation, fostering artistic expression, problem-solving, and preparation for a future in the animation and AI industries.
“This programme introduces students not only to animation tools but also to the art of storytelling and creative problem-solving,” he said.
“We are proud of their achievements and excited to see how they will continue to grow.”
He added that the top 10 projects presented at the ceremony represented a variety of genres and styles, reflecting each student’s unique perspective and ingenuity. The competition has opened doors for young participants to gain hands-on experience in animation and artificial intelligence, preparing them for a growing industry and helping shape the next generation of digital creators.
Omoniyi Iyanda, Lead of Sustainability Reporting and Corporate Social Responsibility at FCMB, spoke about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in addressing real-world challenges.
“AI empowers students to recognize and solve problems, from health care to financial services. Innovations like these are making essential services more accessible,” Iyanda said.
He reiterated FCMB’s commitment to fostering digital skills among Nigerian students, emphasizing the importance of equipping the next generation to create seamless solutions for everyday problems.
Adetunwase Adenle, co-founder of Animation Hub, stressed the importance of preparing young Nigerians for the digital era. “The world is going digital, and we need to empower our children to tell their own stories. Animation and technology provide the tools for this transformation,” he said.
Adenle explained the scope of the program, which launched on June 28th in FESTAC and has since trained over 1,000 schools. In the pilot stage, 1,000 students from 100 schools participated in a five-day training program, which was offered free of charge. The top three winners received prizes as encouragement.
“We aim to scale up by training students from 1,000 schools and providing affordable tools, like laptops, to enable them to work remotely and contribute to the economy,” Adenle added.
“This training, which lasts five days, is free, and we encourage the children by offering prizes for the top three winners. Moving forward, we have opened the programme to 1,000 schools. We call on parents, schools, and communities to nominate students for this training, which is accessible online. We have partners willing to provide laptops with installment payment options. We want our children to work remotely, generate income, and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP.”
He also called for government support in creating an organized database and leveraging NYSC members to expand outreach through a train-the-trainer model.