The closing out ceremony of the second cohort of OAU Stars (2024 set) was held on November 12, 2025, at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria Faculty of Science Lecture Theatre. The OAU Stars are the best graduating students in all programmes and courses of the University for an academic session. The 2024 cohort of OAU Stars were mentored by the Professor Yusuf Olaolu Alli under the Mentoring Emerging National Leaders (MENLeaders) Programme.

The 2024 OAU Stars cohorts were mentored on leadership, innovative and entrepreneurship under the MENLeaders Programme and made presentations on their experience and output. The mentorship programme spanned six months on diverse themes, including leadership, goal orientation, motivation, business planning, development, and innovative ideas.
The student teams, comprising Vistafoods Enterprise Menleaders Limited, Mentra Menleaders4 Limited, Career Edtech Menleaders Limited, among others, presented a series of innovative business ideas and proposals. Notably, these included the development of online food delivery applications aimed at addressing the nutritional challenges faced by students of Obafemi Awolowo University.

The student presentations were ranked and they won prizes ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1,000,000, based on their respective categories and positions. In addition, all participating students were honoured with certificates of achievement.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simeon Bamire, expressed profound appreciation to Professor Yusuf Olaolu Alli for his invaluable contributions to nurturing young talents and fostering the innovative ideas of the youth.
In addition to mentoring the 2024 cohort of OAU Stars, Prof Yusuf Olaolu Alli donated an Innovation Centre to the university. The plans for implementing the Innovation Centre, now referred to as the Weird Innovation Centre.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Akanni Akinyemi, outlined the strategic plans for the Innovation Centre, emphasizing its role in engaging a broader spectrum of students with creative ideas and entrepreneurial drive. He further highlighted the pivotal work of the Central Office of Research in advancing rigorous academic inquiry and promoting a culture of scholarly excellence.

Subsequently, the University’s principal officers, alongside Professor Yusuf Olaolu Alli, proceeded to the site for the foundation-laying ceremony of the Weird Innovation Centre. The Centre is envisioned as a hub for incubating creative and innovative ideas, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting student led startups.

Through these initiatives, Obafemi Awolowo University seeks to contribute meaningfully to addressing the employment deficit among Nigerian youths. The Centre embodies a vision of fostering a brighter future for OAU students by nurturing their potential to establish sustainable enterprises and innovative business ventures.