Emma Okonji
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is backing the second edition of HackJos, the software/hackathon competition holding in Jos, Plateau State from November 1-4, 2016.
The support, according to NITDA, is part of efforts to promote innovation hubs across the country and equip young people with software and entrepreneurship skills.
Aside NITDA, some technology companies have also indicated their interests to join the Plateau State Government to make HackJos 2016 a success.
They include Hotels.ng, Smartweb, and Konga .com, Enspire Incubator, Idea Hub, Gigalayer, Andela, which recently received a venture capital funding from Facebook and the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS). Others are Precise Financial Solutions (PFS), BAU Research and Development, Metronet Communication Concept Ltd and Unity FM. Also on the list of supporters are Qitech Technologies, ProJaro, Instinct Wave, and Smartweb is billed to make presentations at the four day software development marathon featuring a one day conference with the theme: “How ready is Nigeria for the internet of things (IoT)”.
Announcing the support, the Deputy Governor of the state, Professor SonniGwanleTyoden, said: “Technology with Innovation drives today’s economy and we believe young people are the drivers of this process. This is the new Plateau State open to business and willing to promote entrepreneurs under the leadership of the state Governor, Simon BakoLalong.”
The Hackjos forum is designed as a meeting point for budding entrepreneurs and already established tech-companies as well as for policy makers and investors angling to bet on technology innovation. Speakers for the IoT conference are drawn across sub-sectors with IT and Innovation.
The Ag Director General of the NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji said: “We are glad to be supporting HackJos and believe Nigeria’s future rests on the resourcefulness of its young people. As part of our mandate to promote software skills and build indigenous capacity in IT, we consider HackJos a strategic window to build confidence in young people, identify with their budding skill set and provide them with the required impetus to thrive.”
About 30 teams consisting of a minimum of three developers/ ‘hackathoners’ 10 judges, 10 tech support team and over 300 live audience and spectators will be housed for four days in a marathon of wit, entrepreneurship and mental fitness to develop apps-solutions under the framework of Nigeria’s readiness for IoT and sector-by-sector challenges in Nigeria’s economic space.
