Nigerian pupil wins Toyota contest

A Nigerian schoolchild, Oluwademilade Odumuboni, has emerged as the winner of the 2022–23 edition of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.

The 10-year-old pupil of Corona School, Gbagada, Lagos, won the grand prize of $5,000 after beating 782,852 other contestants from 90 countries.

The competition is organised annually by Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan, for schoolchildren globally, challenging them to draw their dream cars with an inspirational idea.

Odumuboni’s waste converter drawing, with the concept of helping countries, especially African communities, in food production and ensuring a clean environment, was adjudged the best globally.

Outside of the prize money of $5,000, a trophy and certificate were presented to him at a ceremony organised by Toyota Nigeria Limited in Lagos on behalf of the TMC of Japan.

His school, Corona, was also given $10,000 prize money. The prize money awarded to Odumuboni and the school was meant strictly for educational purposes.

His Art teacher, Mr Ojeagbega Oserogho, received a laptop.

The Managing Director of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited, Mr Kunle Ade-Ojo, said, “We are very excited and elated. Indeed, we are very proud of the feat that Demilade achieved by also placing Toyota (Nigeria) Limited at the forefront of distributors globally.

“His unique and truly inspirational idea expressed in an equally creative drawing earned him a global grand prize in the contest beating over 782,852 contestants from 90 countries/regions.”

Ade-Ojo said while the parent company, TMC of Japan initiated the contest in 2004, Toyota Nigeria keyed into it four years later as a corporate social responsibility initiative to help children express their imagination of a future car through drawing.