The University of Ilorin has cancelled the Guinness World Record on Hackaton innovation on Renewable Energy event expected to host 5,000 students across Kwara State over fears of COVID-19.
Prof. Joshua Olaoye, the Director, Unilorin Renewable Energy Centre, announced this in a letter addressed to stakeholders.
Olaoye said: “Gather 5,000 students in a single venue, however, negates the current Federal Government of Nigeria campaign against public gathering of more than 50 people.”
This, he said, is in response to the outbreak and containment strategies of ravaging COVID-19.
He said: “Five new cases of COVID-19 was announced just in one day in Nigeria recently.
“Information gathered from our foreign partners and their Government agencies, Guinness World Record (GWR), Hackathon TechChallenge and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had clearly indicated that gathering of 50 or more people should be cancelled for eight weeks.”
According to Olaoye, the Kwara State Government had declared that schools in the state be shut down to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
He said: “Against these aforementioned issues, UREC, therefore, wishes to announce the indefinite postponement of our programme, World Record project and Hackathon TechChallenge, tagged: ‘Kwara-UNILORIN Innovation Hackathon.’”
The event, slated for March 21, has “INNOVATE KWARA” as its theme.
Olaoye stated: “We regret any inconveniences this postponement would have caused.”
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