LAGOS, April 29, 2025 — Kike AI, Nigeria’s first intelligent kitchen assistant platform, has officially launched the Kike AI Campus Impact Challenge (KCIC) 2025, a nationwide competition aimed at empowering students to develop innovative solutions for the country’s food and cooking gas industries. The initiative, powered by SMEFUNDS, invites both undergraduate and postgraduate students from tertiary institutions across Nigeria to collaborate, innovate, and propose practical solutions to real-world challenges in these sectors.

Femi Oye, Chief Executive Officer of SMEFUNDS, described the competition as one that encourages students to move beyond theoretical knowledge and actively shape the future of Nigeria’s gas and food systems. “KCIC is about solutions, leadership, and impact,” Oye said. “We want students to think beyond theory—to act, build, and shape the future of our gas and food systems.”

Participants in the competition will form teams of three to five members and will be tasked with tackling challenges in five key areas: stakeholder research and mapping, gas distribution innovation, vendor e-commerce and chef onboarding, viral skit and content creation, and policy and strategy development. The competition is open to students from a range of disciplines, including technology, energy, policy, media, agriculture, and storytelling.

The top team will be awarded a grand prize of ₦2.5 million, while second and third-place teams will receive ₦1.25 million and ₦500,000 respectively. In addition, the top individual performer will be granted an all-expenses-paid trip to New York. The competition will also offer opportunities for the top 10 teams to win tech gadgets, Kike AI swag kits, internships, fellowships, and exclusive pitching opportunities during the final Demo Day event. All finalists will receive certificates of completion and portfolio recognition.

Applications for the challenge opened on April 28, with team confirmation and a briefing session scheduled for May 9. Participants will begin working on their projects from May 12 to June 12, and final submissions are due by June 13, with winners to be announced during Demo Day on June 25. Students can apply either as part of a team or as Campus Ambassadors, who will be responsible for activating the competition within their respective universities and will receive mentorship and leadership training.

This initiative aligns with Kike AI’s broader mission to modernize Nigeria’s food and gas industries through the integration of artificial intelligence, smart data, and digital vendor networks. The company aims to onboard 10,000 B2B vendors and reach one million users by the end of 2025.

Oye emphasized the importance of the initiative in discovering the next wave of innovators, marketers, and ecosystem shapers. “It’s time to build with Nigeria’s brightest students,” he said, highlighting the transformative potential of student-driven innovation in shaping the future of Nigeria’s industries.