For Team Itoju, it was a moment to savour victory as the team emerged winner of the Innovation Challenge: Ideation Hack, a competition hosted by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Hub (NITHub), University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
Powered by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), an international organization that provides tailor-made, cost effective services for development, the competition was co-funded by European Union (EU) and Digital Transformation Center, Nigeria. Other teams that participated in the competition were Team Retro, Team Padi and Team Innovator.
All the teams made innovative presentations, to ideate and provide technology-driven solutions to specific challenges, before the panelists which included GIZ Board Member, Mrs. Anna Herken; GIZ Country Director in Nigeria, Mr. Marcus Wagner; Commission Manager, GIZ/DTC, Nigeria, Dr. Thuweba Diwani and Cluster Coordinator, SEDEC, Mr Marcus Wauschukn. The winning team of six members had designed an application to enhance consumers’ engagement and timely access to various products of their needs.
Dr. Thuweba Diwani who announced the winner of the competition, said Team Itoju was selected because of the innovative thinking displayed by the team. She assured the other teams of future opportunities to showcase their skills and excel accordingly.
The GIZ/DTC Commission Manager thanked the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS for providing an enabling environment for knowledge growth and development. She declared the readiness of GIZ to sponsor competitive events such as the Innovative Challenge in the future.
Professor Timothy Nubi, who represented the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Bolanle Oboh at the event, thanked GIZ for sponsoring the event. He expressed delight at the innovative endeavors of all the teams, adding that “the world is changing fast and the changes are technologically driven”.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Hub (NITHub), University of Lagos (UNILAG) specializes in three main areas: Up-skilling (Talent Development), Product Development, and Startup Incubation/Acceleration. The UNILAG-based hub is at the forefront of revolutionizing the digital landscape in Nigeria, sparking curiosity and fostering collaboration to drive innovation.
