*Set to propel domestic digital economy to global stage

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) on Wednesday, opened the application portal for the maiden edition of its prize for innovation programme.

The newly opened portal is the only means for submitting applications for the programme with each applicant allowed only one entry.

According to a statement yesterday, the application portal could be accessed using the url https://nsia-ip.com/ and closes at 12noon on April 8th, 2023.

On December 10th, 2022, the Authority had launched the NSIA Prize for Innovation (NPI) programme with a total prize value of $255,000 to be awarded as a combination of cash and equity investment to the underlying businesses of the winners.

“Consistent with its mandate to serve as an enabler for Nigeria’s economic diversification and ascendance, NSIA introduced the NPI as a measure to stimulate the ingenuity of Nigerian startups, innovators and technopreneurs to develop solutions that address real-world challenges with global application.

“The programme consists of three phases starting with the Call for Applications. This will be followed by the Accelerator bootcamp phase and the Demo phase. At the end of the Call for Applications phase, all the submissions will be reviewed, and only 25 of the solutions will be shortlisted for the accelerator bootcamp where each participant’s idea will be amplified for market readiness.

“From the 25 accelerator-phase participants, NSIA’s expert panel of independent judges will select the top 10 entries who will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions at a demo event which is the final phase.

Subject to terms and conditions, the top three finalists from the 10 finalists will be rewarded with a mix of equity investment in the underlying business and cash contribution while the last seven finalists will receive only cash consolation prizes,” the statement added.

It pointed out that the NSIA was convinced that the innovative prowess of budding entrepreneurs was an essential element for the discovery of the next generation of tech-enabled solutions that can stimulate economic growth.

The NPI priority sectors are technology-enabled businesses in key sectors including Financial Services, Agriculture, Health, Education, Manufacturing, Logistics & E-mobility, E-commerce & Marketplaces and Climate. These are catalytic sectors with significant potential to scale sustainably. However, applicants that operate outside these sectors are strongly encouraged to apply.

The NSIA noted that the multi-year capacity-building initiative aims to empower early-stage Nigerian innovators, encourage ingenuity and support the emergence of a thriving digital ecosystem.

The rationale for seeking to provide an impetus for home-grown digital solutions was based on the belief that the future growth of the domestic economy would be defined by the ability to turn ideas into value.

Speaking on the portal opening, the NSIA Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, said the Authority, “aims to serve not just as a catalyst for the fast-growing domestic technology and innovation industry but also as a deliberate enabler across the various tiers of the digital ecosystem.

“With this programme, we will be putting in place a system that will support and fast track the emergence of digital powerhouses in the country which over time, we expect will transform Nigeria into Africa’s hub for tech-enabled solutions.”

(THISDAY)

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