NITDA urges hackathon participants to initiate e-subsidy removal solutions, others

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is set to hold a hackathon during its annual Digital Nigeria Conference and urged participants to float initiatives to address e-subsidy removal, among other challenges.

Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations of NITDA, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Umar said that the hackathon woul be part of the activities lined up to mark the comference scheduled to hold on October 24.

She said that it would be championed by the agency’s subsidiary, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in partnership with the Innovation Support Network (ISN).

The theme of the event is expected to be “Harnessing Digital Technologies for Job Creation, Inclusive Economic Growth, and Sustainability’’.

Umar further said that the hackathon would offer participants the chance to tackle national challenges by leveraging emerging technologies.

“It is focused on building a digital Nigeria, where participants employ creativity, collaboration and critical thinking to tackle problems measurably and systematically.

“Participating startup founders will be allowed to express creativity within their business case and encouraged to develop unique solutions.

“Emphasis will be on creativity that deployed the latest technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud, Big data, Virtual blockchain, Quantum computing, among others.

“Such innovations should come up with clearly defined ideas and prototypes solutions on e-Digital Literacy and Inclusion, e-Creative Media, e-Government Services, e-Subsidy Removal/Mobility and e- Financial Inclusion Technology,’’ she said.

Umar said that this year’s event was rebranded to expand the scope in line with the core objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

“Additionally, the NITDA Digital Nigeria Hackathon 2023 is targeted at achieving local content development and promotion of ideas to be developed into products and homegrown solutions.

“It will leverage young talented Nigerians to produce innovative ideas and products to solve socioeconomic problems, guide tech entrepreneurship to provide solutions to existing challenges across various sectors in Nigeria.

“The event will match tech entrepreneurs with the appropriate public institution right from idea generation and promote exportation of digital services for economic expansion,’’ she said.

According to Umar, it will also activate fresh thinking by connecting innovators from diverse backgrounds and sectors.

“Consequently, finalists will pitch their ideas and teams at the event and a winner will receive the Digital Nigeria Innovation Prize.

“After the hackathon, the winning team will be provided the support to continue to build their solution into a commercial venture.

“Participants are, therefore, expected to identify relevant problem areas and propose solutions to address them,’’ she said.