By Martin Ekpeke
Programos Foundation, Nigeria’s coordinating civil society organization of the United Nations based World Summit Awards which selects and promotes local digital innovation with high impact on improving society has released results of winners for this year’s edition.
According to a statement released during the weekend by Amos Emmanuel, President, Programos Foundation and the WSA Eminent National expert for Nigeria, the results were based on nominees and products with respect to World Summit Award Nigeria 2017 national database, which closed on the 15th of August 2017.
The award is categorized into the following: Learning & Education, Culture & Tourism, Government & Citizen Engagement, Smart Settlement & Urbanization, Business & Commerce, Inclusion and Empowerment, Health and Well Being, and Environment & Green Energy.
The winner for the Learning & Education category this year is EDALAF TUTOR, an educational and parental monitoring app which gives parents access to monitor the activities of their wards on their mobile phones. The solution, which is championed by Abiodun Falade also provides safe internet and blocks out pornography and extreme sites and ultimately provides child safety through embedded location services. Coming second and third in this category are: KOKOKA by Olaitan Mercy Adeboye and MYPADI by Joel Amawhe respectively.
For the Culture & Tourism category, NICADEMIA, anchored by Ubalua Valentine won. Nicademia is a video on demand platform for African Inspired Cartoons. The aim of the platform is to promote African Cultures, Traditions, Values and Norms to the world as well as create a market for African Animations. So far, NICADEMIA has generated over $20,000 in revenue and have some of the animated videos airing on 7 local and international TV channels with 2 million viewers watching weekly.
ONLINE LEGAL ACCESS, led by Gbenga Oso won the Government & Citizen Engagement category. OLA, as it is called, is Nigeria leading online legal and legislative information provider, pioneering a unique business model in the area of citizenry access to legal and legislative information and achieving both local and international success.
In the Smart Settlement & Urbanization category, UTRUCKIT, pioneered by Tom Roberts took first position. What the solution does is to enable cargo owners convey their cargo the way they want it from the comfort of their homes just by using the Utruckit app.
Meanwhile, ALAT DIGITAL BANK led by Nnamdi Azodo won the Business & Commerce category. Powered by Wema bank, ALAT Digital Bank is Nigeria’s first fully digital bank, where customers can sign up in less than 5 minutes, submit relevant documents without ever entering a physical branch, make easy and automated savings to reach their life aspirations and request for their free debit card. Coming second and third in the category are JARA APP by Emeka Akano and WARACAKE by Olatunde Ayilara respectively.
Also, eTrash2Cash led by Muhammad Abdullahi won the ENVIRONMENT & GREEN ENERGY category. eTrash2Cash is a combination of electronic platforms of web & mobile application and sms solutions that helps low income people earn cash incentives in exchange for their everyday wastes or trash.
The World Summit Award (WSA) is a global initiative, which aims to select and promote the world’s best in digital content and innovative applications. It is organised in the framework of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and mandated by the WSIS Plan of Action.
The WSA is a nomination based award that works with an international expert network. The expert’s task is to scout the national ICT markets for suitable applications due to the evaluation criteria of the WSA.
“It is positive development that Nigeria has been making a huge impact in the global innovation space – In previous edition WSA 2016 Nigeria won with the FillYaTank Mobile App,” Emmanuel added. He said all successful winners in the global competition, after the grand jury work hosting in Berlin, October this year, will be celebrated at the WSA Global Congress March 20-22, 2018 in Vienna, Austria.
The Nigerian WSA expert, and Director Africa, on the Global Digital Foundation, Emmanuel Amos, also confirmed an ongoing leadership role, with the support of the WSA office, in coordinating a continental platform of the WSA Africa to rebuild the African digital sector borderlessly leveraging on notable development co-operation policies and the African Union Agenda 2063.
