Verve International, leading e-payment solution provider in Nigeria, Microsoft, renowned software company, Nokia, smarphone manufacturers and Mobile Monday, a mobile solution developing company have joined hands in a quest to raise technology entrepreneurs (Techpreneurs).
In the Mobile Monday Nigeria developer contest tagged “DevCon Alpha: Build with Verve – Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 Edition”, a developer can win over $200,000 in Marketing and Prizes by participating in the contest.
Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek immediately the competition was unveiled in Lagos on Monday, Oremeyi Akah, country manager, Verve International, said that the Company was attracted to the contest following its quest to redefine software market while alleviate the sufferings of developers in Nigeria.
She said: “Verve is home grown and our participation and motivation in the context are very clear. The entrepreneurial spirit in Nigeria is very strong, especially in the developers’ community. We want to encourage, support and help them attain the heights they envisaged. Verve as a leader in payment solutions we are bringing that aural into the developers’ community.
“People have fantastic apps coupled with a lot of efforts, but they are not commercialized. That implies, they cannot grow their businesses or contribute to the growth of the country’s economy. At the same time, the CBN is trying to push the cashless policy, we are coming in to support that. Their efforts will not be in vein again as they can compete internationally while solving local demands”.
The country manager added that Verve views the programme as a win-win for all the parties involved and the nation will have greater testimony to show for it.
Also speaking, Tomi Davies, chairman, Mobile Monday Nigeria, said that, DevCon Alpha competition was launched out of concern that the Nigerian software market and the other sectors need to be saved from foreign strangulations.
He said that upping the market value will make it more attractive to the developers.
Davies said: “We are concerned that some foreign brands and platform are taking over the system in Nigeria; companies from Germany, US, UK, etc. but the people who attended this event today (Monday) are Nigerians who are looking for opportunities to develop the market. That is why Mobile Monday (MoMo) has partnered with Microsoft and Nokia.
Most importantly, we have seen that the big sponsor is Verve; it is a home grown e-payment company. That is why this is very important to us. We need as many Nigerian developers and designers to be part of this competition. Just like Nokia promised, even you do not win they will still promote you provided the software solves local needs. We need icons or role models that will spur the minds of others. Everybody talks about IrokoTv; we want 200 to 300 like of IrokoTv. We know that there is money to be made in mobile software development.
“Meanwhile, it is not about the $300,000 that will be made by a developer rather we want to train young people that can develop apps that the whole world can assess at the Windows Store.
Why the Windows platform? In as much as we want to do other programmes with other platforms, the focus in on developing Nigerians. We want the country to become a player in the technology space. When we build our software then we can easily solve our local needs.
Where are we coming from? If you look at Nollywood, it is worldwide today, even the Nigerian music industry. MoMo’s aim is to put our software on the same footing; people will come to Nigeria for mobile software applications.
“I don’t want Nigerians to become employee, but employers. We are focused on developing ‘Techpreneurs’; Technology entrepreneur that use technology to create employment and wealth and the tools they will use is what we are developing at MoMo. It is not enough to develop one’s skills and employ you”.
According to him, the process is self selecting; “we are not saying you have to pair. But for you application to be accepted it must be visual appealing to people and technically sound to ensure scalability,” he added.
On his part, Shina Oyetosho, Microsoft’s Developer Platforms Evangelism Lead, West East and Central Africa Microsoft, said that, it is all about marking the market value attract international recognition while not shying away from local trends and demands.
He said: “Overtime, we have been participating in events and organizing events that ensure we develop local talents in Nigeria. This SDK/payment integration into apps is something that developers have asked for.
“So, we threw it back at the industry. It is an opportunity for the developers to monetize their creativity. The more we do that, the more we are helping the local developers. That is tied to the national goal of developing the software sector. Secondly, it will create employment; there are people who have left their jobs in banks and focused on apps development. And this is a way the industry is providing them with value and a driving force to do more quality work”.
The contest is primarily focused Developers integrating the Verve payment SDK into their applications.
The winner of this competition will also walk away with interesting prizes and an advertising push provided by Nokia, Microsoft and Verve. It would also be deployed on the Nokia OVI store.
Mobile Apps which have the embedded Verve Payment SDK are able to securely receive payments within the app from the over 20 million Verve Cards and Verve payment tokens in Nigeria.
The solution also utilises Verve’s “Remember Card” feature, implying that customers do not need to enter their card numbers when initiating these payments – only PIN and is some cases CVV2 is required to complete a payment.