In an effort to bolster and increase innovation at a homegrown level, Etisalat Nigeria has announced the launch of their 2013 version of the “Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation.” The move hopes to enable young entrepreneurs to develop new concepts and push them into the telecommunications sector.
The award will name the “most innovative mobile broadband product, idea or service in Africa,” the company said.
Entries for the award can be submitted via the Etisalat website.
“First prize will go to the most innovative product or service that was launched in the last 18 months, and the second prize is for the most innovative idea driving or facilitating mobile broadband use in Africa,” said the company.
The winner of the first category will receive a $25,000 cash prize, three devices, a business development mentoring program and a “possible commercial partnership with Etisalat.”
The winner of the second category will receive a cash prize of $10,000, three devices, a product incubation program, business development mentoring, access to network resources for testing and a pilot study with Etisalat’s customer base.
The move aims to help continue to push local African innovation in the telecom sector, which has seen massive growth across West Africa over the past few years.
David Eto
