Nigeria will host the Apps4Africa event tomorrow for a brainstorming session to discuss and develop potential submissions in this year’s competition under the theme “Business Challenge”.
This year’s competition will be held December 7 at the Wennovation Hub and builds on the previous successes of Apps4Africa in 2010 and 2011.
In 2010, Apps4Africa concentrated on Civic Challenge, where developers were encouraged to build innovative technology solutions to everyday problems such as transparency, government, health and education. iCow from Kenya won the best app that year, with an app that enables farmers to better manage the breeding periods of their cows, helping to increase yields..
Last year’s event was won by Nigeria’s HospitalManager. Marieme Jamme, Coordinator of Events in Africa said: “The Apps4Africa competition gives a voice to the voiceless: it gives the microphone to local people, to generate solutions to local issues that matter to them.”
Jamme also said that Apps4Africa competitions have changed people’s lives, allowing them to be listened to and engaged to take part fully in the competitions.
“We are looking for the next tech CEO in Nigeria,” Marieme Jamme concluded.
Organisers of this year’s event welcome ambitious technologists, young developers, entrepreneurs, businesses, startups and NGOs that support technology projects, to come attend the event and share their ideas to the larger technology fraternity.
The Apps4Africa 2012 competition was officially launched at the DEMO Africa on October 25 in Nairobi, Kenya, by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton via a pre-recorded video.
The challenge was started in 2009 as an annual programme to support African social entrepreneurs to combat societal problems using technology. The programme has so far offered funding to twelve applicants in nine African countries.
Interested competitors can submit their entries at Apps4africa.org.
