Daniel Segun Akinyiwola, a 400 level student of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has emerged as a top winner in a highly competitive statewide entrepreneurship initiative.
In August, the Ondo State Government launched a search for the best business ideas in the state.
From a pool of thousands of Ondo State indigenes across the 18 Local Government Areas, 84 advanced to the final pitch stage.
Following this rigorous selection process, Daniel was chosen among the top 20 entrepreneurs to receive full institutional support.
He secured the win with his health-tech startup, Golden Hour, which solves a critical gap in healthcare logistics by directing emergency patients to the closest hospital with the capacity to treat their specific condition.
The selection earned him a ₦4,000,000 grant, alongside a fully sponsored international business trip and tour, a 12-month idea incubation, expert mentoring, and the full backing of the Ondo State Government to launch.
The award cheque was presented to him by the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olayide Adelami, at a ceremony held on September 19, 2026, at the Dome Event Center in Akure.
With funding and government support secured, Daniel is bringing this opportunity back to the FUTA community.
As Golden Hour moves into full-scale development, he is seeking a highly skilled student developer to join the venture as Technical Lead, an exclusive chance to co-build a funded, government-backed startup from the ground up.
To filter for true technical capability, interested developers have been instructed to bypass standard resumes.
Applicants are to send a brief professional introduction, a link to their GitHub profile, and a direct link to the most complex live project they have built, directly to [email protected].
The Vice Chancellor of FUTA, Professor Adenike Oladiji, described the win as a big plus for the entrepreneurial drive of FUTA students and products.
“This is a big win for Daniel and we celebrate him for this monumental achievement and for proving that FUTA students do not just participate in the future, they build it. We will continue to equip our students to be job ready and people who make things happen for the good of their community and the society at large,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
