Prize for innovation: Etisalat makes two more Nigerians millionaires

Etisalat Nigeria, at the weekend, made millionaires out of two Nigerians for their creativity, intellectual and innovative abilities. Apparently trying to live by its self acclaimed innovative and fastest growing telecommunications operator, the company dished out a whopping seven million Naira to two innovators unveiled as winners of its 2015 Prize for Innovation Competition.

The two Nigerian youths, Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo, were considered winners for their innovative products and Ideas.

While Brown won N5m in the most innovative product/service category, Ezegbo pocketed N2m for winning the most innovative idea category.

To clinch the N5m, Brown created an application called ‘Study Lab Math’, a repository of over 1300 videos solving math problems in over 49 topics in the NERDC curriculum for senior secondary school students. The problems are solved by a team of Math teachers led by WAEC Chief Examiner.

Traffic navigation

His counterpart, Ezegbo, created a Dedicated Traffic Mapping Device (DTMD) which emerged the winning idea in the most innovative idea category. It’s a GPRS enabled traffic navigation device with voice over interface  which is affixed to a vehicle windshield to help users navigate their way through traffic by accessing real-time traffic data and suggesting shorter or alternate routes.

Earlier before the unveiling of the winners, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Matthew Willsher, noted that the Prize for Innovation initiative which aims at discovering and growing young Nigerians with innovative products, ideas and solutions using mobile broadband technology, reflects the company’s commitment to nurturing talents and promoting creativity that will have invaluable impacts on individuals and organisations.

“As a company, innovation is at the core of our business; it is the strength on which we thrive. The world is driven by innovation and Nigeria needs innovators whose ideas and products can drive development and help people live as they should. We at Etisalat are glad to provide a platform to mobilise the nation’s teeming crop of young and undiscovered innovators to impact all areas of the society,” he said.

He also called on Nigerian youths with innovative ideas to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by Etisalat to contribute to the development of the society, saying “it is not about how many ideas you have, but how many you make happen that matters.”

Winners of the most innovative product and ideas categories, Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo in addition to their cash prizes were also rewarded with a publicity campaign, mentoring session at EDC Pan Atlantic University.