For being one of the foremost drivers of disruptive change in our educational system, for demonstrating capacity as a young leader who has leveraged technology in solving major problems of the society,for being an inspiration to young people through consistent community engagement and result ,John Onuigbo is ANAMBRA PERSON OF THE WEEK.
John is a result-oriented social entrepreneur and an educator with years of experience in project planning and management. He has spent the past few years of his life formulating winning managerial, implementation and monitoring strategies that are robust for various EdTech Businesses that yield 110% profit, while ideating and piloting solutions to the biggest educational problems facing vulnerable communities.
He is a recent graduate from the Department of Human Physiology, Chukwumeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra state. As a student, John served outstandingly as President of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, carting away lots of recognitions and awards including Best Faculty President in Southeastern Nigeria from the Southeast Campus Awards and graduating as one of the tops in his class.
He is the CEO and co-founder of Foris labs, a virtual science laboratory brand that he started building in the middle of a pandemic that employs the power of the metaverse to supercharge the learning journey of science students in Nigeria. This startup has grown to be listed as one of the top three edtech startups in Nigeria by the Global Edtech startup awards in 2021 and got him named the global first-place prize champion at the Stanford Centre for Longevity Design Challenge in 2021 (the first black person to win this prestigious award) after beating innovations from big universities including Harvard Kennedy College, Kings College London, Northwestern University etc in the global innovation competition.
He also co-founds Stemnovo Ng, a STEM education company through which he empowers young creatives in rural and semi-urban communities in Southeastern Nigeria by preparing them for the fourth industrial revolution, challenging them to become job creators rather than job seekers by equipping them with the skills in coding, robotics and entrepreneurship through hands-on inclusive training sessions, tech boot camps, group community projects and exhibitions.
Outside Foris labs and Stemnovo Ng, John volunteers with a good number of non-profits whose mission and vision align with his core ideology that access to quality education, skills and healthcare should be democratized no matter socioeconomic strata. Working with Whispering Hope Africa Initiative as a Director of Communications, the organisation won Airtel Touching Lives Award aimed at organisations providing succour to the underprivileged, hard-to-reach, vulnerable and disadvantaged in society.
John has won the Teacher achievement award of the US Embassy in Nigeria in 2019 & 2020; Airtel Touching Lives Winner; Fellow, Creative Enterprise Hub, Lagos; Fellow at the biggest incubator for edtech innovators in Africa – Injini Africa; Winner, Injini West Africa pitch day competition; HeforShe Champion Awardee of the British High Commission in Nigeria; West African Citizens choice awards 2018; Nigeria delegate at the 2019 Global Goals Model United Nations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He has also led Anambra students to win top competitions including the Beyond School Community Challenge of the US Embassy, Diamond Challenge, Dubai-Nigeria Debate championships, and President’s Schools Debate, to mention but a few.
Just recently, he blazed the trail and shone out as one of the top young entrepreneurs in the Zenith Bank Tech fair hackathon where he won a 15 million naira grant for his company Foris labs as one of the winners. He is also set to be awarded by the Regional Forum of Universities as one of the top 20 young entrepreneurs in Africa at an Award ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, in December
About Author
