The three top startups in the just concluded Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) talent hunt hackathon smiled home with N10 million each. The three companies that won at the event were Solaris GreenTech Hub, Specxs Care Limited and Knownow Africa Limited.
Solaris won in the Renewable Energy Solution category, Specxs won Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities category while Knownow won the Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance category.
The hackathon covered three broad areas; Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas, Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities and Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance.
The hackathon judged by an independent Panel of Judges chaired by the President of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Prof. Mohammed Ajiya, rewarded nine other startups with 500,000 each for their hard work and participation.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by the Director, Research and Development, Ismail Adedigba, said the event aligns well with one of the core objectives within the new Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) of the Commission for the years 2023-2025.
He said the vision speaks to fostering the development of cutting-edge technologies through rigorous research to catalyse sustainable economic growth and overall development within Nigeria.
Adedigba said “The culmination of this competition is not confined to the grand prize of N10 million awarded to each winner from these 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. We closely monitor the progress of these solutions as they evolve into full-fledged prototypes.”
He explained that in a world where innovation is paramount, the NCC often witnesses the remarkable potential of Hackathons to showcase fresh perspectives on existing challenges.
He added that the NCC’s annual hackathon serves as an instrumental tool in sustaining innovation and mobilising the collective intelligence of the innovators to tackle pressing real-world issues, both in the business realm and within our social fabric.
