Nigerian winners have emerged at the first Google Impact Challenge in Africa during simultaneous events held in Lagos, Johannesburg and Nairobi.
This is in part fulfillment of Google’s commitment to grant a total of $20 million, over the next five years, to non-profits that are working to improve lives across Africa.
The first tranche, $6 million in total, is granted to the newly declared winners — 12 from each represented country (Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa), 36 in total.
Applications for the Google Impact Challenge in Africa opened in May. More than 5,000 entries were received in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Judging to narrow down the 12 finalists was conducted by a team of Googlers and Google partners with expertise in the sector. Voting was then opened to the public from 8 to 26 November [2018].
On the night of the award ceremony, each entrant pitched their enterprise to an independent judging panel, which voted on the winners. The results of the public vote determined the people’s choice winner.
In each of the three participating countries, the top four winners receive $250,000 each. Three of these winners were selected by the panel of independent judges, one winner was selected through a public vote (people’s choice). The remaining 8 runners-up receive $125,000.
Nigerian Winners Of 2018 Google Impact Challenge In Africa
Judges’ choice ($250,000 each)
- The Cece Yara Foundation: Providing a safe platform for free access to healing and justice, for children experiencing sexual abuse in Nigeria.
- HelpMum: Using low-cost innovations and the power of mobile technology to tackle maternal and infant mortality in underserved and remote areas in Nigeria.
- Project Enable Africa: Project Enable Africa Disability-friendly Digital Hubs to promote the access of persons with disabilities and their caregivers to ICT skills and opportunities.
People’s choice ($250,000)
- Vetsark: Data science technology to protect crops and livestock from pests and diseases.
Runner-ups ($125,000 each)
- BudgIT Foundation: Raising a community of active citizens that tracks and monitors government projects in their community to ensure quality service delivery.
- LearnFactory Nigeria: EmBED (Education made Beautiful, Engaging & Delightful) — Making Education Accessible, Affordable, Engaging and Delightful for all kids through technology and borderless classrooms.
- Junior Achievement Nigeria: Entrepreneurship and digital skills training for secondary school students to create 10,000 young digital entrepreneurs by 2025.
- Bunmi Adedayo Foundation: Continuous in-service training for public primary school teachers.
- Solar Sister Nigeria: Empowering women entrepreneurs from underserved communities to build clean energy businesses.
- Rural Development and Reformation Foundation (RUDERF): ‘OLEJU’ economically empowers females to become skilled artisans, utilizing creative recycling technology as a major tool.
- The Roothub Tech 101: A training programme to equip disadvantaged youths in rural areas of Nigeria with digital skills.
- Seed Tracker – IITA: A digital app to enhance quality seed production and access to seed markets.
