North-East Makeathon: Innovative Nigerians Pitch to Proffer Solutions
The North-East Makeathon (NEMAKEATHON) is a crowd source program designed to bring out creative ideas from innovative Nigerians to proffer solutions that will make meaningful impacts on people and the environment in the North-East region of Nigeria that has been devastated by the activities of the boko haram insurgency.
Pitch events were held in Abuja and Yola on the 24th February and 3rd of March respectively. The event saw talented and creative Nigerians showcased there innovative ideas and solutions aimed at solving the humanitarian challenges faced by the internally displaced persons and other affected persons in North East.
The program is organised by the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, in collaboration with The Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI), the International; Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the American University of Nigeria.
In 2017, NEMakeathon invited Nigerians to participate in the program. It was a call to Nigerians to think of home-grown solutions to some of the challenges in North-East Nigeria. NEMakeathon received about 1500 entries.
The North-East Makeathon identified 6 key challenge areas in the North-East and had applicants apply with ideas and solutions.
Education, Protection, Nutrition and Food security, Camp coordination and management, Recovery and Economic Security.#NEMakeathon pic.twitter.com/B8hng4U7Lo— North-East Makeathon (@NEMakeathon) February 24, 2018
Good morning.
On Saturday, we held the 1st Pitch session in Abuja. Over 70 people pitched their ideas and solutions to the challenges in North-East Nigeria.#NEMakeathon pic.twitter.com/3P3csDGQtF— North-East Makeathon (@NEMakeathon) February 26, 2018
The solutions came from various sectors, agro-mechanization, girl-child education, ICT education, biotechnology, human capacity development and skill acquisition.
Yesterday was about listening to the ideas and solutions to the challenges facing the North-East. For a region that has witnessed years of war, destruction and devastation, it is such an important step to finding home-grown solutions.#NEMakeathon pic.twitter.com/lzeBeOafaB
— North-East Makeathon (@NEMakeathon) March 4, 2018
The program intends to support brilliant ideas through training, mentorship and incubation sessions of selected solutions to achieve entrepreneurial success.
NEMakathon challenges were identified through consultations with NGOs and affected persons and the main areas of interest include food security, early recovery and livelihood, camp coordination and management, education, health and protection.
