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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its subsidiary, Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), is calling on Nigerians, especially software developers, to apply for opportunities to participate in the “Nigeria COVID-19 Innovative Challenge”.
Nigeria COVID-19 Innovation Challenge is an online innovative challenge set up to meet the challenges mankind is facing as a result of the Coronavirus. With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, governments have issued guidance for members of the community to practice social distancing, while companies have enforced work from home policies in an effort to flatten the curve of viral infections across the population.
The Challenge, organized as part of NITDA’s strategic initiatives, is aimed at identifying and showcasing innovative technology that will help in containing the pandemic, cushion its effects, create awareness on measures to prevent the spread and engage stakeholders in discussion. It is open to Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora.
Given the current circumstances being experienced in Nigeria and the world at large, this call is on developers, entrepreneurs and other creative minds to explore, experiment and build software solutions to help address this crisis ravaging our economy.
The Innovative Challenge will focus on the following:
Mitigate the health and social impacts of COVID-19 in Nigeria using innovative technologies;
Showcase relevant innovative technologies developed by Nigerians towards COVID-19 and similar future pandemics;
Facilitate and enhance processes along the prevention-detection-treatment value chain of COVID-19; and
Cushion the financial and social impact of COVID-19 during and after the pandemic in Nigeria and possibly beyond.
Registration for the programme commenced on Friday 24th April, 2020 and is expected to close on Friday 1st May, 2020. Further information can be found on the event website: https://nigeriacovid19.futurehack.ng
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is a Federal Government Agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. NITDA was established in April 2001 to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy as well as coordinate general IT development and regulation in the country. Specifically, Section 6(a & c) of the Act mandates NITDA to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria; develop guidelines for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, the private and public sectors, labour, and other fields, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information.
