Students gathered at the CIBN Banker’s Hall on May 31, 2025, for Founders Connect 1.0, an entrepreneurship summit organized by Abdulbasit Lukman, a 200 level Computer Science student at the Kwara State University with the help of his colleagues; Mashood Abdulhaqq, Hikmah Sulaiman, Yusuf Fasilat, Uthman Thanni, Usman Ismail, Ajibade Daniel to mention but a few. Aiming to bridge tech-minded students and seasoned business leaders, the event buzzed with energy from setup to networking.
To commence the program, Abdulbasit outlined the mission to ignite passion and purpose. Isaac Owolabi, CEO of Bright Integrated Realty, shared advice for early entrepreneurs. Speaking at the event, he said “read widely, understand personal strengths, seek mentorship, and start small while dreaming big”. His anecdotes about early struggles and networking in a small town prompted a lively Q\&A about balancing academics with startup ambitions.
Next, Qazeem Oladejo, delivered an interactive keynote titled “Work to Succeed, Prepare to Fail.” With minimal slides, he invited students to voice fears of rejection, funding gaps, and technical uncertainty. By weaving his own setbacks into their questions, Qazeem transformed the hall into a safe space. He guided an aspiring app developer through rapid prototyping and user feedback loops, energizing attendees.
Abdul Razaq Abiodun of Craft Innovation Hub spoke on building sustainable social-impact startups. He emphasized solving local problems with minimal viable products, trusting a small circle for feedback, and pivoting from failures. His account of a failed pilot turned success resonated deeply.
Closing the presentations, AI enthusiast Ghazali Habeebullah of Kolekto demonstrated how to prompt AI tools, research platforms, and innovate responsibly. His live demos demystified AI, inspiring students to explore coding and design.
The event ended with various forms of connection amd idea sharing. With mentorship networks formed and practical insights shared, Founders Connect 1.0 planted seeds for tomorrow’s startups at KWASU.
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