By Emeka Aginam

After spending countless hours evaluating  more than 150 students’ projects from 64 countries in the World at the Imagine cup Semifinals, Microsoft judges have announced 33 finalist teams, including Team LifeWatch from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, to compete at the global stage next month, July, in Seattle, Washington, the United States.

A cross section of Team LifeWatch of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state,  Nigeria.

With projects that are entertaining, inspiring, innovative and even life-altering, the thirty three teams will fly their country’s flags at the global stage. These students, according to Microsoft, will compete in three categories including Innovation, Games, and World Citizenship for a chance to win $50,000 USD plus a boot camp-style experience designed to really move their projects forward.

In addition, these teams, the technology giant said, will receive hands-on mentorship and project development support from Microsoft and industry experts within Microsoft Ventures, Microsoft YouthSpark and PAX. Running in its 13th year , Imagine cup is the world’s premier student technology program and competition.

Now under a global spotlight, students participating in the World Finals have proven they are the best of the best, beating out at least 150 teams from around the globe.

While proving their project has what it takes to be the ultimate winner, students will have the opportunity to network with their peers and the judges, and learn valuable technical and business skills to help prepare them for their future careers, all while getting the chance to win cash and other prizes totaling more than $1 million.

At the World Finals Championship Ceremony on July 31, the three first place teams, Microsoft said, will compete live on stage in front of a panel of judges for the ultimate prize – to be crowned the 2015 Imagine Cup Champion! Representing Nigeria this year is Team LifeWatch from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Their project, AsthmaVisor is a phone app,synthesized with an external hardware to provide real-time monitoring of asthmatic patients. The solution monitors and supervises asthmatic patients’ health statuses and environmental conditions and gives early warning signals to pre-defined emergency contacts if a threat to a patient’s health exists, alerting them of the situation and the location of the patient.

The mentor of Team Nigeria, Tenibiaje Bobolaji, while reacting with excitement about the success of the Nigerian students said that they would make Nigeria proud at the global stage. “It is our  determination to come back with the cup. We need the support of Nigerians to actualize this goal. The next level work has just begun”, he added.

It would be recalled that Shina Oyetosho, Developer and Platform Evangelism Lead, Microsoft Nigeria had told the students during the national finals competition held last month at the Idea Hub, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos that everybody was a winner. “You have just started the journey to the global stage.

“It does not end here. You all have amazing solutions but there has to be one winner. It is not about what happens here but what happens after this. The fact that you did not win does not mean that your solution is not good. Use it to change the world. Use it to solve world toughest problems”, Oyetosho who is passionate about start-ups said.