Winners of 2023 Talent hunt research hackathon bag N10m cash price from NCC
By Blessing Emmanuel, Abuja
The winner of the 2023 Talent hunt research Hackathon has won a ten million Naira cash prize from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).
The event which took place on Thursday, October 26, 2023 in Abuja, filled with excitement and honour, recognised winners and distributed prestigious prizes.
At this year’s edition, there were 81 entries from the six geopolitical zones in the country. 12 were shortlisted to participate in the tech innovation contest.
Out of the 12 shortlisted, 3 emerged as winners, each from the three thematic focus for 2023 edition; Blockchain Solution, Renewable Energy and Assistive Technology.
The winners were announced by the Chairman, Panel of Judges for the Hackathon, Prof. Mohammed Hajiya, alongside their awards.
The winner, Know-Now Limited emerged from the Blockchain Solution category while in the Renewable Energy Solutions category, Solaris GreenTech Hub, emerged the winner with N10m prize and in the Assistive Technology Solutions category, Spex Care Limited emerged winner with N10m prize.
The remaining 9 innovators from the 12 shortlisted candidates were awarded N500,000 consolation prize each with certificate of commendation for their participation in the annual contest hosted by the Commission.
While delivering his welcome address, the Director, Research and Development Department, NCC, Alh Ismail Adedigba highlighted that young innovators have a pivotal role to play in addressing existing industrial challenges and formulating technology-driven solutions that yield tangible social impact.
According to him, Innovation in Communication Technologies stands as the driving force behind the very essence of the Telecommunication industry today.
He said, “Technology has emerged as the catalyst that unleashes unprecedented potential in ways we could scarcely fathom. Consequently, the advancement of the Telecommunication sector, and doing so in a manner that is sustainable and ethical, should be a collective concern for all of us. The rate of growth experienced by the Telecom sector, thanks to innovative research, is nothing short of enviable.
“It is essential that the vision of the Commission for this Competition resonates profoundly with all stakeholders in general and accelerating our collective prosperity through technical efficiency agenda of the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.”
The Director emphasised that NCC is unwaveringly committed to building and strengthening the bridge between Tech Hubs and the Telecom industry.
“We will persistently encourage innovative research that not only mirrors global innovations but also tailors them to local contexts,” he added.
NCC announced that the culmination of this competition is not confined to the grand prize of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) awarded to each winner from the three thematic areas for the development of their solutions, but goes beyond this, as the Commission takes a holistic approach to support these promising innovations.
The Commission pledged to monitor the progress of these solutions would be closely monitored as they evolve into full-fledged prototypes.
