In October, we put one question to young people in Badagry: if you could fix one problem you see every day, what would you build?
We did not know what would come back.
On 9 November, entries to the Badagry Builder Challenge closed. Secondary-school and university teams answered with plans for things that work, chosen from seven tracks: education, health, agriculture, money, transport and logistics, the creative economy and local commerce, and community infrastructure.
Every secondary-school team came with a teacher. Every team had to include at least two girls. Those were our rules from the first day, because we wanted the builders on stage to look like the town they come from.
What happens next
Our judges are now reading every entry. We will announce the finalists here in the coming days. Between then and 27 November, the finalists will work on sharpening their pitch.
Then, on Friday 27 November, they will stand on the main stage at Badagry Tech Summit and show what they built, in front of judges, partners and an expected 500 people. The winners will be announced before the day ends.
To every team that entered: thank you. Whether or not your name is called, you answered the question. That is where every first begins.