The Nigerian Communications Commission Invites Applicants for its Talent Hunt Research Through Hackathon
The third iteration of the Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon has begun as part of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) efforts to put into practice its Strategic Vision Plan 2023–2025, which aims to promote the creation of new technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research. This project aims to promote Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth and development.
The NCC is encouraging Tech Hubs and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) across Nigeria to participate in the Talent Hunt Research Hackathon as part of its commitment to innovation and development.
The NCC-organized event focuses on three important topics: technology solutions for renewable energy in rural regions, assistive technology for the elderly and people with disabilities, and blockchain-enabled data protection solutions for improving regulatory compliance.
The hackathon makes use of cutting-edge digital technology to encourage the development of original ideas and regional content in the telecommunications industry. This promotes social progress and economic development in Nigeria.
The Talent Hunt Research Hackathon registration process
This competition offers a venue for converting innovative concepts into real-world hardware or software solutions that address problems in both business and society. Notably, prizes of N10 million each will be given to the top three solutions, one from each of the above-mentioned sectors.
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) certificate of registration is required, and the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission. Additionally, the project must clearly relate to one of the three thematic areas mentioned above and include a problem statement, a solution, and a roadmap for deployment.
Other requirements include a proof of concept (which may also include the idea’s technical viability with a diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies); the solution must be original with the applicant making a declarative statement on ownership of the intellectual property; the solution including prototype development shall be completed within 6 months of receipt of the Grant; and the solution must propose a thorough commercialization strategy for the prototype.
According to the entry submission format, the proposal must contain ideation, a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, current sweat equity investment, product-market fit status, verifiable go-to-market status, growth feasibility assurances, maturity model and timeliness, and, where applicable, disaster recovery.
There is no fee to enter the competition, and the Commission retains full control and ownership of the generated solutions’ intellectual property. All applications must be submitted online and adhere to the specified entry format.
The submissions must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise and include a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3- to 5-minute video of the pilot project, names, ages, contact information, passport photos, team member profiles, and the website (if available) as well as the applicant’s email address.
Interested and qualified enterprises should submit the requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023. The application period is set to conclude on Friday, September 22, 2023.
The Commission has run an advertorial on the Hackathon for 3 weeks and hereby requests those in the startup ecosystem to note that the application closes by Friday, September 22, 2023.
