Three start-ups, at the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC, COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon Challenge, won the sum of N3 million each, after emerging top winners at the event.
The virtual hackathon challenge took place at the Conference Hall, NCC Head Office, Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
The three start-ups, namely KlassConnect, SmartClinic and Elizade University Team, received the research grant to proffer digital solutions on COVID-19.
A total of 298 submissions were received from start-ups. After the first and second level preliminary assessments, based on the pre-established selection criteria, 56 of the start-ups, qualified for the final stage of the Evaluation Processes.
Out of the fifty-six, (56), solutions from different start-ups that participated in the Virtual Hackathon, three, (3), winning solutions were identified, through a painstaking evaluation process that threw up the overall first, second and third best start-ups, with the most promising and adaptable solutions.
In his opening speech, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, expressed his delight at having an event designed to reward hard work and innovation, in the Nigerian ICT industry, while also, appreciating the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, whose idea initiated the award ceremony.
“This challenge is not misplaced, given that it is in tandem, with the 8-pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-2030, with the Honorable Minister, as the Pilot.
We considered the challenge to find a local content solution, to the pandemic as it follows our strategic designs, as contemplated in our 8-Point Agenda, which, incidentally, aligns with the 8-pillars of the NDEPS 2020”, Danbatta stressed.
Danbatta noted that the Hackathon is expected to throw up innovative and adaptable solutions that will address the present and future impacts of Pandemics and Epidemic diseases in Nigeria, focusing on five, (5), thematic areas, namely Health, Community, Productivity, Economy and Education.
“The Commission has, in the past two years, managed similar ICT-based innovations and research competitions among the tertiary institutions, in the country, with potentials to improving on our local content solutions in the industry”, the EVC Danbatta concluded.
Delivering the opening remarks at the awards presentation of the grants, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Director, Research and Development, NCC, reiterated the Commissions efforts, in fostering innovations in emerging technologies.
Nkemadu noted that, the Commission’s reason for initiating the Virtual Hackathon 2020, in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic is, to challenge Nigerian start-ups, Technology Hubs and Innovation Digital SMEs, to come up with adaptable digital solutions for addressing the present and future impacts of Pandemic and Epidemic diseases in Nigeria.
“Beyond prize winning, we congratulate every start-up who participated in this competition. We have no doubt that the experience gained, will provide all of us with the opportunity to retool and re-engineer our innovative skills, for a better future for our businesses and our nation”, Nkemadu concluded.
Here are the three, (3), winners and their solutions:
Klasconnect
This Edtech start-up provides educational institutions, with a web portal that enables students to work remotely, by registering for courses, receiving lectures, delivering assignments, creating and executing tasks.
Klasconnect benefits institution through:
- Cost savings plans
- Greater coverage and information
- Centralised E-Library system
- Tolerance to pandemic
SmartClinic
This E-Health start-up is involved in providing and implementing the latest trends in health technology.
With its mobile app and web solution, patient-based mobile health app is linked with a hospital-based information management system.
SmartClinic offers patients the following:
- Viewing hospital availability
- Scheduling appointments
- Getting notified of lab and x-ray results
- Remote consultation
Elizade University Team
This start-up plans to assist in automatic temperature screening and contact tracing of persons with body temperature, above the normal for human beings.
In his speech at the event, the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, expressed his delight, at the presentation ceremony of grants to winners of the Digital Solutions Hackathon for COVID -19 and other Infectious Diseases, acknowledging that the competition was focused on digital solutions, against the current pandemic.
“Since the global pandemic began, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has strived to support the Federal Government with solutions, based on our areas of expertise and in line with our mission, to build a nation, where digital innovation and entrepreneurship, creates value and prosperity for all”, Pantami noted.
Featured Image: 4th from left, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO, NCC, 5th from Left, Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, extreme right, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Director, Research and Development, NCC, in a group photograph with the winners of the COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon from digital innovation Startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) event, held in Abuja on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
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