The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has awarded N10 million each to three startups to enhance their research to develop the country’s economy.
The startups got awarded at the grand finale of the three-day 2023 Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon, organised by the NCC in Abuja recently.
The winners were Solaris Greentech, which won the renewable energy thematic area, Knownow Africa Blockchain for the blockchain thematic area and Specxcare Limited won the assistive tech thematic area accordingly.
The other nine startup participants were awarded N500,000 each for their hard work and participation.
The Executive Commissioner of Technical Services, NCC, Ubale Maska, said the commission had actively promoted hackathon competitions with a thematic focus aimed at addressing significant challenges within telecom industries and society as a whole.
Represented by NCC’s Director of Research and Development, Ismail Adedigba, Maska said hackathons had yielded innovative solutions for issues such as kidnapping and banditry, E-waste management, and strategies to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said this year’s hackathon event focused on three pivotal thematic areas that resonate with global concerns, and not only Nigeria.
He said the 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.
He said the cumulation of the grand price goes beyond that, adding that the commission takes a holistic approach to support the promising innovations.
He said the hackathon would be preceded by an incubation and mentorship programme designed to equip startups, inventors and tech entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to refine their ideas.
Earlier, the Director of Research and Development, NCC, Ismail Adedigba, said the innovative hackathon, if held regularly, offered invaluable opportunities to unearth and adapt to new technologies.
He said that was imperative to acknowledge that young innovators have a pivotal role to play in addressing existing industrial challenges and formulating technology-driven solutions that yield tangible social impact.
Twelve startups from various geopolitical zones across the country participated in the 2023 Talent Hunt Research and three emerged winners.
