The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ITU Child Online Protection Champion, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan celebrates the winning team of the just concluded technovation Challenge in Nigeria. She applauded the feat of these young girls during the one day youth convention organized on September 3rd, at the presidential villa; by the ITU with Federal Ministries of Communication Technology & Youth Development, NCC and New Horizons. The event was well attended by young people all over the country. The 2013 Technovation Challenge winining team in Nigeria comprises Adeola Augustina Fasan, Abisola Chinonye Jegede, Chiemerie Mary Okoro, Joy Ayomide Olufemi, and Chikodili Grace Ozoagu who developed a mobile app to track traffic offenders in Nigeria. The team were also presented to the European parliament(www.witin.org/tc13)on 25th of April by the Secretary General of ITU, Dr Hamadoun I. Touré; who also presented them with the Tech Needs Girls Awards(http://www.techneedsgirls.org/prize.aspx#.Uib75j_nJnQ)
Mrs Martha Omoekpen Alade, President of WITIN, while speaking to the NTA during the event emphasized that although the internet poses a lot of threat to young people, shielding them completely from using it, is not the best protective measure; but rather a more pragmatic approach would be to engage our youths more positively online. Joy Olufemi, who spoke on behalf of the winning team enthused that since the the first day they participated in the challenge, they have learnt to think critically and entrepreneurially. They have worked on their business plan and are identifying partners who would work with them to take their business to the next level.
Nigeria’s team emerged top 10 globally, beating China, India and Jordan. The girls pitched their app at twitter headquarters in California in May 2013. The Technovation Challenge is a program of Iridescent. The goal of the program is to promote women in technology by inspiring girls to see themselves not just as users of technology, but as inventors, designers, builders, and entrepreneurs in the technology industry. The winning team were mentored by New Horizons.
All participating schools were taught life skills such as how to identify a problem, design and test a solution, collaborate with a team, conduct market research, write a business plan and communicate to different audiences. It reinforces the following academic concepts: digital representation of information, algorithmic thinking and programming, and the societal impact of information and information technology. WITIN opened the challenge and held a hack day for participating schools at the Pan Atlantic University, Victoria island. The best schools pitched locally on 25th April, Girls in ICT Day in NigeriaWe appreciate our partners New Horizons, Promasidor, and Phase3 Telecom for their kind contributions to the success of this challenge and special thanks to Mr Taiye Eyewuoma, for his financial support and to our dear mother and matron, Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for her financial and moral support as well for championing the cause of the girls
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