Registration for NCC’s USPF Innovation Changemaker Challenge 2017 for Youths Begins.

Fri, Jul 7, 2017 | By publisher


Featured, Youth

THE Nigerian Communications Commission challenges Nigerian youths to provide solutions to the nation’s problem by participating in its Universal Service Provision Fund Innovation Changemaker Challenge 2017 competition

THE Nigerian Communications Commission through one of its department, Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF, is challenging Nigerian youth to engage their ingenuity to solve relevant problems and bring about change through creativity and innovation.

The USPF Innovation Changemaker Challenge 2017 is a nationwide competition open to young innovators, software developers, UX designers, students, and other ICT enthusiasts from all over Nigeria.

The aim is to tackle a selection of identified problems based on the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, as they apply to Nigeria and offer working solutions to them.

Participants will be required to create their own technology intervention for any 14 areas including such as Agriculture and Creation of Mass Employment: In the production, storage or distribution of food; Environment: Oil and Gas, Flood, Erosion/Climate Change; National e-data on Poverty, Disease, Security; Health/Lifestyle: Medical Doctors Information Exchange Tool; Health Insurance etc.

Other areas include: Epidemic Mobility Tracking Solutions: e.g. Ebola, Lassa fever; Disease Destroyer Games: Educational games on disease eradication e.g. Malaria, Polio, and HIV; Education: Virtual Education, E-Library & E-Learning Systems; Intelligent Technologies for Scientists, Science Teachers, Engineers, etc.;    Girls4Tech: Interactive solutions aimed at getting young girls interested technology and innovation and Fraud whistle-Blowers: Enabling or assistive technology.

The rest are: Information Technology: Communications Quality of Service; National Security: Cybercrime and Cyber security Solutions, etc; E-Government: Government Automation Processes and E-Commerce: e-Transactions, Payment Systems, etc.

Entry is open to teams, minimum of  two and maximum of four members (no individuals). Teams with female members will have definite added advantage as USPF seeks to encourage more gender diversity in technology innovation. Thirty teams will be shortlisted (consisting of the top five entries from each geopolitical zone).

They will be invited for the national finals, where the top three finalists will win the following prizes: 1st Prize – N1, 000,000 plus acceptance into incubation programme; second prize – N750, 000 plus acceptance into incubation programme; 3rd Prize – N500, 000 plus acceptance into incubation programme. Monetary prize includes product completion and cash.

Registration for the competition started July 4 and closes August 14.

The Changemaker Challenge finals is slated for October 28 and 29. Youths who are interested in participating should log on to:http://www.uspfchangemaker.ng to register or contact  Nelson Afundu, with 0803 491 4007 or email: nelson.afundu@openmedia.com.ng and Joke Atte, 0816 391 3797; 09-4617448; or email jokeatte@ncc.gov.ng.

The USPF was established under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and universal service to information and communication technologies, ICTs, in rural, un-served and under-served areas in Nigeria. The Fund is being managed to facilitate the widest possible access to affordable telecommunications services for greater social equity and inclusion for the people of Nigeria.

Realnews recalls that the present management of NCC led by Prof. Umar Danbatta unveiled an eight-point agenda in January 2016 as its focal areas to deepen the growth in telecommunications in Nigeria. One of the items, specifically item number four of the agenda addresses the need to promote  ICT innovation and investment opportunites. This programme – “The USPF Innovation Changemaker Challenge” – is one of NCC management’s plan to give the finest expression to that aspect of the eight-point agenda.

—  Jul 17, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

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