With several GenZs taking the easy way out and avoiding the work, three students from Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Nigeria, Harmony Abayomi, Nwachukwu Chibuzor, and Efod Freda, have carved their names in the sands of time.
They’ve built an AI powered application called Valor, taking first place at this year’s Bells University’s Hackathon. This app uses advanced machine learning and image processing technology to determine how ripe a fruit is, specifically, a mango, which is how it earned the nickname “The Mango App.”
The genius team, comprising Harmony Abayomi, a final-year Software and Computer Vision Engineer; Nwachukwu Chibuzor, a 400-level Data and AI Engineer; and Efod Freda, a 400-level Data Analyst, impressed the judges.
What makes this even more inspiring is that the app tackles key challenges in the agricultural sector by helping farmers, suppliers, and consumers accurately identify when mangoes are ripe or spoiled. Thus eradicating the common issue of food waste and loss of value.
The students shared in recent interviews that what pushed them was the need to cut down on waste and find a more accurate way to check fruit quality.
“Knowing when a mango is ripe or gone bad is still a big issue,” they said. “Overripe ones end up getting thrown out, and under ripe ones just don’t taste right. We’re trying to remove guesswork from the equation, by providing a more reliable method.” (Paraphrased)
Beaming with pride, the acting vice chancellor, Caleb University, Sunday Adewale, stated that “Caleb University has become a colossal hub for innovation and academic excellence”.
This is the kind of innovation Nigeria needs more of. We’re always saying young people are full of potential, and these three? They didn’t just talk about it, they built something. And not just anything, but something real, something needed. Mango isn’t your regular tech buzzword project. It’s proof of what’s possible when Nigerian youths are given room to dream, tools to build, and the confidence that they need to make a real impact.
It’s also a callout to our educational institutions: let’s nurture more of this. Away from the normal,let’s build a system where students don’t just cram to pass exams but are equipped to solve real-world problems.
Mango is proof that innovation isn’t reserved for the big cities or Silicon Valley. It’s happening right here — in classrooms, lecture halls, and in the hearts of students who aren’t waiting for permission to lead. They’re doing it already.
And for Nigeria? That’s a much needed hope in these times.
