The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced the third edition of its talent hunt research through a hackathon, a crucial component of its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025.
This initiative aims to foster the development of new technologies and indigenous content, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.
The commission has invited tech hubs and innovation-driven enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to enrol their start-ups and innovative solutions in the talent hunt research through a hackathon organised by the Commission. The hackathon’s focus areas include Blockchain-enabled data protection solutions for enhancing regulatory compliance, assistive technology solutions for the elderly and people with disabilities and technology solutions for renewable energy in rural areas.
The NCC Talent Hunt Research Through Hackathon leverages emerging digital technologies to facilitate the development of homegrown innovative solutions and local content in the telecommunications sector, contributing to economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.
The competition encourages participants to translate novel ideas into hardware/software solutions that address industry and societal challenges. The top three solutions, one from each of the three thematic areas, will receive grants of N10 million each for further development.
The commission has established eligibility criteria for potential participants, including the requirement that the enterprise must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The Enterprise should not have previously received support from the commission and the project must have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas mentioned earlier. Other prerequisites include providing a clear problem statement, proposed solution and deployment roadmap.
Additional requirements encompass a proof of concept, a declaration of intellectual property ownership, a six-month timeline for prototype development, and a detailed commercialisation plan.
Applicants must submit their proposals online, adhering to the specified entry format. Participation in the competition is cost-free, and the commission maintains full control and ownership of the intellectual property of developed solutions.
According to director of public affairs for the commission, Reuben Muoka interested and eligible enterprises should submit the required documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023. The submission deadline is Friday, September 22, 2023.
The NCC has been running advertisements for the hackathon for three weeks, emphasising the importance of this initiative in fostering indigenous innovation and technological advancement. The commission encourages all stakeholders in the startup ecosystem to take note of the application deadline and participate in this opportunity to drive innovation and growth in Nigeria.
