NITDA Calls For Applications Into COVID-19 Innovative Challenge

Ali Pantami

Aminat Isah, Abuja

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its subsidiary, Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), has called on Nigerians, especially software developers, to apply for opportunities to participate in the “Nigeria COVID-19 Innovative Challenge”.

The challenge which is open to Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora is organized as part of NITDA’s strategic initiatives aimed at identifying and showcasing innovative technology that will help in containing the pandemic, cushion its effects, create awareness on measures to prevent the spread and engage stakeholders in discussion.

The Innovative Challenge will focus on the following: mitigate the health and social impacts of COVID-19 in Nigeria using innovative technologies; showcase relevant innovative technologies developed by Nigerians towards COVID-19 and similar future pandemics; facilitate and enhance processes along the prevention-detection-treatment value chain of COVID-19; and cushion the financial and social impact of COVID-19 during and after the pandemic in Nigeria and possibly beyond, given the current circumstances being experienced in Nigeria and the world at large.

The call which is on developers, entrepreneurs and other creative minds to explore, experiment and build software solutions to help address this crisis ravaging the Nigerian economy is an online innovative challenge set up to meet the challenges mankind is facing as a result of the Coronavirus.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, governments have issued guidance for members of the community to practice social distancing, while companies have enforced work from home policies in an effort to flatten the curve of viral infections across the population.

Registration for the programme commenced on Friday 24th April, 2020 and is expected to close on Friday 1st May, 2020.

Further information can be found on the event website: https://nigeriacovid19.futurehack.ng