Etisalat Unveils Panel for Pan-African Prize for Innovation

Etisalat, Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company, recently unveiled the judging panel for the second edition of its ‘Pan-African Prize for Innovation at a private dinner reception held in, Lagos.

The reception served as an avenue to acknowledge their commitment to drive Etisalat’s vision of recognizing and celebrating innovation across the African continent.

Judging panel for this year’s edition include Senior Director of Business Development and Managing Director, West Africa, Qualcomm, Mr. Alex Dadson, Head of Developer Outreach in the Emerging Markets team, Google, Mr. Chukwuemeka Afigbo, also on the list are: Mr. Reinaldo Fiorini, Principal, McKinsey & Company and Mr. Simdul Shagaya, a serial technology and media entrepreneur, and Founder/Executive Chairman of Dealdey and Konga.

Others include Mr. Tayo Oviosu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Paga, a leading money transfer and payments service in Nigeria; Mr. Audu Maikori, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chocolate City Group and Mr. Wilson Feng, Director at Huawei.

According to Mr. Matthew Willsher, chief commercial officer, Etisalat Nigeria, the Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation was founded on the premise of rewarding the most innovative mobile broadband idea, product, or service that provides a significant utility to mobile users.

“There is an abundance of innovative talent in technology residing in the continent. We believe in showcasing these talents that not only create viable opportunities for individuals but also improves the social and economic livelihood of people who use these technologies,” he said.

The Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation will be awarded at the 16th Annual AfricaCom Conference holding in Cape Town, South Africa, from the 12th to 14th of November 2013. Entries for the award will be received in two sub-categories: 1st Prize for the most innovative product or service that was launched in the last 18 months, and 2nd Prize for the most innovative idea driving or facilitating mobile broadband use in Africa.

The first prize winner will get a sum of $25,000, 3 Devices, a Business Development Mentoring (in-House) programme, and a possible commercial partnership with Etisalat while the second prize winner will receive a sum of $10,000, 3 Devices, Product Incubation Programme, Business Development Mentoring (in-House) programme, access to network resources for testing, knowledge base, as well as a pilot study and analysis via Etisalat’s customer base.

The award is open to manufacturers and customizers of handsets, dongles & modems, embedded Devices, tablets and eReaders. Also eligible are SMEs and individuals developing innovative mobile broadband solutions