Nigerian University team emerges winner in the Google Online Marketing Challenge

A façade of LAUTECH Senate Building, Ogbomoso

A team from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria, under Professor Arulogun Oladiran Tayo has emerged as the Middle East & Africa regional winner in the 2014 Google Online Marketing Challenge (Adwords Business category).

The team of Adedoyin Jelil Opeyemi, Akadiri Olawale Olugboyega, Adesina Jamiu Olawale, Olayanju Abiodun Ibraheem, Salami Ismail Tunde, and Adeosun Oluwole Titus worked with Automedics Limited, an automobile maintenance workshop offering free advisory car care tips.

The Google Online Marketing Challenge is a unique opportunity for students to experience and create online marketing campaigns using Google AdWords and Google+. Over 65,000 students and professors from almost 100 countries have participated in the past 6 years.

With a $250 AdWords advertising budget provided by Google, students develop and run an online advertising campaign for a business or non-profit organization over a three week period. The teams that develop and communicate the most successful campaigns win awesome prizes, including trips to Google offices. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the optional Google+ Social Media Marketing category by creating and managing a Google+ Page for their clients over a five week period.

Two African teams from Nigeria (University of Ibadan) and Ghana (Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology) made it to the  regional (Middle East and Africa) finals in 2012 but lost to Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, under Professor Sarit Moldovan.