10 winners have emerged for the 2015 eNNovation Challenge that was organised by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS) in partnership with Samsung and IBM.
The eNNovation Challenge, an online crowd sourcing contest, was open to members of the public and according to the Managing Director/CEO, NIBSS, Mr Ade Shonubi, the contest sought to promote the spirit of innovation, and showcase the depth and variety of talent available for cognitive cultivation in the national economy.
“NIBSS conceptualized this pan-Nigeria, multi-disciplinary contest, collaborating effectively with IBM and Samsung to ensure that initiative benefitted from the global best practices and benchmarking standards of these two technology companies,” he said.
“The entries were adjudicated using several parameters, including creativity, uniqueness, practical application/impact and potential for commercial viability. The contest was borne out of our proactive measure to solve some of the challenges posed by the nation’s cashless policy programmes.”
More than 1,800 entries were received at the initial stage of the competition earlier this year.
“The screening and judging panel comprising top industry executives from Central Bank of Nigeria, NIBSS, eTransact, Microsoft, Paga, Konga, Samsung, IBM, TEP, Dudu Mobile, and the immediate past MD of CitiServe Ltd. Shortlisted the best thirty entries from which the top ten ideas were selected from.
Odimayo Adesokan is one of the top four prize winners. His “Cashless Campus” idea conceptualised a nationwide ecosystem of university campuses devoid of cash. Another outstanding winner, Rukevwe Onoge, a freelance web developer and graphic artist, showcased a “Mobility Monitoring and Payment” system. She hopes to fine tune her idea into a commercially viable solution in the near future. “The 2015 eNNovation challenge has been a mind opening experience for me,” she said.
