Tutor Finder, PlayJoor and House of Uwe emerged winners of the GenesysIGNITE 2017 held last Friday December 15, 2017, in Nigeria’s city of Enugu courtesy of Genesys Tech Hub in collaboration with CFAtech.ng; where the three start-ups were presented with cheque worth USD$10,000 each after emerging victorious at the pitch sessions.
Presenting the cash prizes to the winning startups, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, said that it was high time various research and development results were pulled off the shelves from the Nigerian universities and turned to commercial products. Any nation that produces science and technology experts is always the toast of the world.
Dr. Onu added that the Ministry through the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), the Federal government is addressing issues related to patent and intellectual property as means to safeguard investments and ideas of the young people.
The event reportedly drew about 2000 attendees from Enugu, Abia, Uyo, Imo, Anambra, Delta, and Ebonyi.
In his remark at the event, Senator Ken Nnamani, erstwhile President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, noted that the future of Nigeria belongs to the digital economy and will become visible if the country strategizes properly.
He underscored the need for educational institutions, especially the universities to ‘feed’ the technology industry with skilled manpower and graduates fit for purpose.
“What Genesys is trying to ignite in the South East and Enugu State in particular is awesome, by opening the eyes of our young people to tech disruptions and opportunities. It is important, because our people are ingenious and if we can apply the ingenuity in the tech ecosystem we can compete with the Silicon Valley. It is high time we shift our ingenuity from snatching ballot boxes during elections, and channel the strengths towards technology.”
Meanwhile, Kingsley Eze, founder and CEO of Genesys Tech Hub, said the main objective of the GenesysIGNITE was to discuss latest technology trends that impact the regions, and to proffer strategies for unearthing benefits in the various sectors of the Nigerian economy at large. Through the event, he said, they are also promoting innovative business solutions and ideas, currently propagated in the form of start-ups, within the region, culminating in capacity building and other exigencies to help them thrive.
Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., founder, CFAtech.ng who moderated the panel session informed the youths in attendance that this is the type of events that has helped fuel the tech revolution in other parts of the country and that they owe themselves a duty to take full advantage of the opportunities that will follow GenesysIGNITE 2017.
On his part, Professor Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) tied digital innovation and development to digital literacy, stating that Government needs to move towards the “pull” strategy with emphasis in the development of appropriate legal framework, applications and local content.
“Digital Access Programme (DAP) is being implemented by the regulator to equip secondary schools across the country with internet connectivity. More than 223 schools have benefited. Internet clouds are being provided within Nigeria’s university and polytechnics to foster improvement in digital literacy and application,” the EVC said through Mr. Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs at the Commission.
