FUTO, Uni Jos, others emerge regional finalists in Nigerian Content Science and Technology Innovation Challenge

Teams from six universities have emerged among the six finalists in the first-ever Nigerian Content Science and Technology Innovation Challenge (STIC) sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The six winners – two from each region include University of Jos and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for the Northern region; the Cross River University of Technology and Federal University of Technology, Owerri for the Eastern/Southern region; and for the western region, Tai Solarin University of Education and Anchor University, Lagos.

The successful teams emerged from the 15 groups that competed at the regional finals which held at the University of Abuja for the Northern zone, NCDMB Towers, Yenagoa for the Southern/Eastern and Covenant University Ota for the Western regional competitions.

STIC is a nation-wide, enterprise-development program that is intended to challenge undergraduates from all accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions to stretch their ingenuity, and apply science & technology to create home-grown, innovative, and technology-driven business solutions that address some of our pressing everyday problems.

Each of the 15 teams that had earlier emerged as semi-finalists were given a grant of Five Hundred Thousand Naira by the NCDMB, to develop functional prototypes of their ideas. In each of the regions, six astute multidisciplinary professionals from Engineering, business development and strategy served as judges to shortlist the fifteen to six.

All six regional finalists will now proceed to a four-week mentorship program which culminates into a one-week boot camp where seasoned business development, marketing and communication professionals from reputable organisations will work with NCDMB and Enactus Nigeria to review and enhance their business plans into realistic and practical working tools for transforming their ideas into sustainable business ventures. During this boot camp, the assumptions presented at the regional finals will also be tested, so as to perfect the business cases for their innovations as they prepare for the grand finale to be held at the NCDMB Towers in Yenagoa in June 2020.

According to the General Manager, Capacity Building, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Dr Ama Ikuru, who gave the opening remarks at the regional finals competitions, the STIC is one of NCDMB’s numerous efforts at developing talents and local content, while at the same time improving the research and development capabilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, Mr Michael Ajayi, while speaking at the western regional finals, asserted that the STIC is not only a competition among undergraduates, but one among tertiary institutions as well, wherein the winning institutions receive a 20 Million Naira investment in Research and Development, courtesy of the NCDMB. The undergraduates who emerge winners at the grand finale of the STIC in June will receive 10 Million Naira grand prize, as well as opportunity for business incubation.

Sponsored by the NCDMB and implemented by Enactus Nigeria, the STIC is an enterprise-development program designed to challenge undergraduates of all accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions to stretch their ingenuity and apply science & technology to create home-grown, innovative, and technologically-driven business solutions that address some of the Country’s most pressing everyday problems, accelerate reverse-innovation and create wealth, while also providing job opportunities for the growing numbers of the unemployed people in Nigeria.

The dedicated online portal for the competition-www.stic.org.ng was open from November 19th, 2020 until January 31st, 2021, during which a total of 511 entries were received from undergraduates in 129 tertiary institutions across all 36 states of Nigeria, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).