A University of Lagos (University of Lagos) student has emerged winner of the Red Bull Basement Nigeria national finals with an innovation called VitalTag, a livestock health monitoring system designed to help farmers detect illness in animals at an early stage.
The winner, Jesutofunmi Oniyide, a Mechatronics Engineering student, developed VitalTag as an Internet of Things (IoT) device that attaches to livestock and tracks key biological and behavioural indicators. The system monitors signals such as temperature, heart rate, and feeding or jaw movement, allowing farmers to receive early alerts when an animal shows signs of possible illness.
According to competition reports, the project stood out among thousands of entries (reportedly over 3,000 participants) in the Nigerian edition of the global Red Bull Basement programme. The initiative is designed to support student-led innovations that solve real-world problems using technology, with a focus on scalable and socially impactful ideas.
VitalTag’s core value proposition lies in reducing livestock losses in agriculture, a sector where late detection of disease remains a major challenge for farmers. By shifting from manual observation to continuous digital monitoring, the system aims to improve response time and reduce economic losses in animal farming operations.
The win highlights a growing trend in Nigerian university innovation ecosystems, where students are increasingly building hardware-plus-software solutions targeting agriculture, health, and logistics. While VitalTag is still in the innovation stage, its recognition at a global-backed competition signals potential for further development, funding interest, and possible commercialization in the agri-tech space.
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