The Telecommunication and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) recently convened a conference to deepen conversation on driving sustainable innovation across Nigeria. The event, themed 'Nurturing Innovation Ecosystems: Beyond Ideas to Real Impact,' aimed to inspire a new generation of innovators. According to Bankole Oloruntoba, lead consultant at the TTSWG Secretariat, the conference sought to achieve this goal. The event brought together policymakers and thought leaders from various sectors.
The Innovation Makers Challenge (IMC) Conference & Innovation Exhibition 2.0 focused on supporting innovation and creating a convergence for young innovators in the technology and telecommunication sector. Oloruntoba stated that the broader vision of IMC 2.0 was to deepen support for sustainability in these sectors. The IMC was built on the premise of supporting innovation and creating opportunities for young innovators. This year's conference expanded to five sectors: health, agriculture, education, climate change, and technology.
The conference provided a platform for closing the gap between infrastructure and imagination, and between connectivity and capability. Dapo Otunla, senior vice president & chief corporate services officer at IHS Nigeria, emphasized the importance of education in empowering entrepreneurs. He stated that when entrepreneurs are equipped with the right knowledge, they build stronger businesses, create employment, and make smarter decisions. The conference aimed to solve critical challenges that exist between having an idea and knowing what to do with it.
The event featured a top-five live pitch session with all-female early-stage innovators. The innovators presented their ideas in various sectors, including AgriTech, climate-friendly AgriTech, tech-based poultry farming management software, and virtual lab EdTech. The pitch session provided an opportunity for the innovators to showcase their ideas and compete for funding.
The three winners of the pitch received a combined N9.5 million seed fund to support their growth. Agrovesto, a tech-based AgriTech pioneering operating system for bankable and sustainable agriculture, received N6 million as the prize winner. Blue Sands STEM Labs, a virtual lab EdTech, received N2 million as the first runner-up, while QiqiFarms, a farm produce offtaker AgriTech, received N1 million as the second runner-up.
According to Oloruntoba, the IMC was built on the premise of supporting innovation and creating a convergence for young innovators within the technology and telecommunication sector. He emphasized that the sector cannot attain sustainability with just technology alone; other essential components and a wide range of activities are also necessary. The conference aimed to bring together innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to drive sustainable innovation.
The conference provided a platform for innovators to leverage their creativity to solve real-life problems. Otunla stated that the conference existed to close the gap between infrastructure and imagination, between connectivity and capability. The event provided an opportunity for young innovators to come into the ecosystem and showcase their ideas.
Key points
- The conference aimed to inspire a new generation of innovators and deepen support for sustainability in the technology and telecommunication sector.
- The event provided a platform for closing the gap between infrastructure and imagination, and between connectivity and capability.
- The three winners of the pitch received a combined N9.5 million seed fund to support their growth.
