Denis Opudo
In this festive season, what better good news should we share with you than on how your innovation can pay handsomely besides being solution(s). In fact, consider including heightening innovativeness in your 2018 resolutions. Who knows where it lands? Do so and thank me later. One great forum that rewards innovators and developers in South East and South-South Nigeria is GenesysIgnite.
A brainchild of Genesys Tech Hub, GenesysIgnite is an annual event that brings innovators, policy developers, and post-secondary student-technocrats together with the main goal of nurturing potential ideas. This year’s edition, I must admit was very competitive, attracting 147 powerful pitch submissions. Moreover, here’s what we all love most – rewards. The top three ideas were tipped $10,000 each. Innovation pays! Besides, the winners will undergo an incubation programme, courtesy of Genesys Tech Hub, geared at harnessing their full potential.
Winning is easy yet complex. If you thought it hard, wait a minute. The $10,000 recipients were PlayJoor; an upcoming gaming platform that is computerizing traditional games like ludo, Tutor Finder; a digital solution for after-school tutorials for learners and House of Uwe; an e-commerce fashion platform that is making it possible to customize your designs online. You need not crack your head with innovation; begin with the known – the existing gaps or problems. Then develop a solution. It calls for contextualization, relevance, and creativity.
Good news
Next year the number of start-ups receiving the seed money expands to 10. Genesys Tech Hub’s founder, Kingsley Eze believes this is enough motivation for young people in Southeast to exploit their potential cognizant of the support to their ventures in waiting. He further noted that Genesys Tech Hub has what it takes to nurture young innovators going forward
The event took place in Enugu City. With the many tertiary institutions nearby and world-class innovation firms like Genesys tech Hub, it hosts, Enugu is viewed as the hub of technology in the Southeast.
Such events unearth trailblazers and should evoke federal and state governments’ efforts in support of the over 70 million youth in Africa and much more across Africa. This resonated with sentiments of Founder, Venture Platform an Abuja-based accelerator, Kola Aina who believes public-private partnerships are essential in supporting innovation and technology. For instance, connectivity which remains a major stumbling block to many young people can be resolved. Investments in infrastructure; cheaper high-speed broadband could go a long way in enabling start-ups to achieve the right scale.
With conscious contribution then, from government coupled with stakeholder-support brilliant ideas will be tapped and incubated. Most of these will serve as solutions to the Nigerian people, Africans and the world at large. Be part of the solution. Innovate and tell it out!
Merry Christmas and prosperous 2018!
