The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), with support from the Center of International Private Enterprise (CIPE), awarded $1,900 to three tech innovators in Nigeria after a competitive selection process. This award was presented during the Media and Development Conference (MDC) in November.
The competition aimed to foster innovation and collaboration among organisations utilising technology tools to enhance transparency and accountability of foreign investments in Africa. During the selection process, entries were evaluated based on innovation, impact, usability, scalability and sustainability criteria. In the end, three top civic tech tools were shortlisted as finalists and were further evaluated by submitting a 1-minute video explaining what these innovations aimed to achieve and the impacts.
“By incentivising the development and deployment of cutting-edge tech solutions, we can contribute to more responsible and sustainable practices in the region”, noted Dr Tobi Oluwatola, CJID Executive Director.
He said the competition will promote collaboration between West African civil society, media, and technology organisations as well as raise awareness of the importance of responsible investment practices.
Top three winners
The winning entry, GrinMesh, was presented with $1,000, while the first and second runners-up, Trakkem and ProcureBot, got $500 and $400, respectively.
GrinMesh is a web app that leverages geospatial technology to highlight hotspots for suitable siting of Green Energy plants for suitable sitting of green businesses. It analyses geodata to provide these hot-spot insights across Nigeria, connecting interested foreign investors to local businesses in the green sector.
Receiving the award on behalf of the GrinMesh team, Abass Abdul Azeez noted that the United Nations report estimates the green economy to be able to create $250 billion in investment opportunities in Nigeria.
“GrinMesh taps into this possibility and is bound to make huge impacts in FDI in Africa and Nigeria specifically, and winning $1,000 will directly impact GrinMesh’s growth.”
Meanwhile, Trakkem is a platform designed to enhance transparency and accountability in foreign investments within Africa’s agricultural sector. It addresses the critical challenges investors, farmers, and agro-industries face in the region, such as a lack of transparency, an accountability gap, and sustainability concerns.
ProcureBot is a platform that delivers a fresh and innovative approach to FDI, emphasising transparency and efficiency and empowering investors to make ethical and sustainable choices. ProcureBot helps investors find the perfect investment solution.
“These awards will serve as incentives for continued development and broader adoption of the tech tools”, noted Lola Adekanye, Africa Director, CIPE.
