Exammate and Interactive Media Interface Design have been named winners of the third edition of the Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation.
The award, aimed at encouraging and celebrating valuable innovation in the African market was presented at the AfricaCom Awards Gala Dinner which held in Cape Town, South Africa as part of the AfricaCom 2014.
The award came in the categories of the Most Innovative Product or Service and the Most Innovative Idea. The first prize of $25,000 for the Most Innovative Product or Service was presented to Exammate, an Exam preparatory programme for JAMB candidates.
The second prize of $10,000 for the Most Innovative Idea was presented to Interactive Media Interface Design (IMID), a remote communication interface for GPRS-enabled pre-paid meters. The Awards were presented by Oluwole Rawa, Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria and Adia Sowho, Head Digital Media, Etisalat Nigeria.
Speaking after making the presentations, Rawa said that he was pleased to see that the competition was beginning to inspire local software developers and ingenious people to create innovative and relevant mobile broadband products and services that can make a positive impact on the economy.
“At Etisalat, we see ourselves as a young and innovative company, setting the pace for others in the telecommunications industry. Therefore we are glad to see that the Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation is spurring young people across Africa to be creative. ” He said.
Anthony Oniwon, the creator of Exammate Application, and Abdulganiyu Onabanjo who conceived the IMID idea, both commended Etisalat for introducing the award. They expressed confidence that the Prize will not only empower them to accomplish their dreams and bring their ideas to life but will also inspire other companies to reach out to young entrepreneurs and innovators.
