The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced the top three winners of its COVID-19 Innovation challenge. The winners are awarded a total of $2.5 million.
The innovation challenge was opened in the last week of April and ended on May 1st. It is an online challenge aimed at developers, entrepreneurs, and other creatives to create software solutions in order to address challenges during the Coronavirus crisis.
The Demo Day of the challenge was also held virtually and participated by more than 150 people across the world. According to the Director-General of NITDA, Abdullah Inuwa, the innovation challenge was also meant to utilize local technology to combat the spread of Coronavirus.
“When we developed this plan, there was nothing like Covid-19 but with Covid-19 today there was a need for us to fast track and facilitate the implementation. With digital technology today where we promote physical distancing, many diseases cannot be contacted and we will be able to conduct our activities effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. Isa Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
Dr. Isa Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy via sahelstandard.com
“With digital technologies, we will be able to curtail the spread of Covid-19 significantly and we will be able to enforce and integrate contact tracing and many more,” he noted.
Pantami added that it was part of the National Information Technology Development Strategy to implement Nigeria’s national digital economy strategy for digital Nigeria 2020-2030.
“The solutions proposed so far and the successful ones among the innovators that pitched previously you should look at incubating the solutions and donating the solutions to the federal government through relevant ministries and parastatals like the ministry of health, NCDC and presidential task force,” he said.
The winners for NITDA COVID-19 innovation challenge are Algorizmi (1st); Smart Chamber (2nd); Myclinic.ng (3rd); Covid Tracker (4th); and COViRR 20 (5th).
Rinchi
