For the first time Nigeria will host United Nations-Influx Hackathon, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, has been chosen as the camp for the three-day event commencing Friday, March 10, 2017.
For a few decades now, the United Nations and the people they represent have felt disconnected from each other. In 2012, Max Kalis, founder of Influx Trust, felt it was time to re-instate the UN’s identity as the middle man between the people and the government.
It was then that Influx Trust, a community that supports better engagement between the UN and the public using innovative technology, was born.
Since then, Influx Trust has actively been connecting people from all over the world with the United Nations, and the United Nations with the people they represent.
The UN-Influx Hackathon is aimed at creating a network of movers and shakers around the world to connect, create and collaborate for more impactful solutions to local and global challenges.
The annual hackathon which holds in Nigeria for the first time will focus on ninth (9) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN: ‘Industry Innovation & Infrastructure’ and intended for young Nigerians to kick-start their entrepreneurial journey and receive the resources to become social entrepreneurs that really makes difference to the world.
Speaking on the coming event, Mr. Peter Arogundade, managing director of Sidmach Technologies, said that the Company was privileged to host the Lagos session of the event holding simultaneously in nine regions, across five continents, with over 1000 hackers expected to participate.
“This is a huge and defining moment for Sidmach to have been selected to host the ‘The UN SDG Action Campaign’ where 50 indigenous hackers are will connect, create and collaborate during a 48-hour global hackathon around 3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; to actually give answers to various social challenges faced in this region”.
Speakers and mentors expected at the sessions include, Hakeem Adeniji-Adele, director of Public Sector Business at Microsoft Nigeria; Dotun Olowoporoku – Founding Partner, Starta; Onyeka Akumah, founder, FarmCrowdy; Babatunde Oladosu – corporate finance professional, PWC and Ayo Dawodu – Co-founder, Loystar.
Others are Tope Hassan, founder of ISOKO Y’AFRIKA; Daniel Oparison, leads Brand and Marketing strategy at Paga and Innocent Chukwuma – Director, West Africa Ford Foundation.
Meanwhile, the judges are: Opeyemi Awoyemi, co-founder, Jobberman.com; Mark Essien, founder of Hotels.ng; Olusola Amusan, author of ‘Are You Branded or Stranded’; Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, PhD, part-time faculty in Ethics, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Lagos Business School (LBS).
The event partners are Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Leadspace; Printivo; Passion Incubator; Starta; Microsoft and Giga Layer.
Expatiating on the plans for winners, Mr. Akintunde Opawole, marketing officer at Sidmach Technologies, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek they are expected to undergo mentorship programmes at the United Nations headquarters on how to kick-start their businesses.
“As hosts,” Opawole “Sidmach wants to contribute towards the nation’s IT ecosystem, especially in finding lasting solutions to the infrastructural challenges. So, it’s part of our CSR”.
Other centres where the hackathon will hold are Bahrain, Bali, Chandigarh, Geneva, Lisbon, London, New York City and Rio De Janeiro.