Three tech start-ups at the recently concluded ‘secure Lagos hackathon’ organised by the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) in partnership with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Passion incubator,have been given a total of N3.15 million to further develop their innovative security solutions.
The three-day hackathon which commenced on May 18 and ended on May 20, 2018 saw a total 96 participants come to pitch different innovative ideas, showcasing both software and hardware technologydevelopments that help tackle security issues in Lagos.
Team ‘LSFLOW’, was given N2 million cash prize as investment towards its innovative solution that monitors and forecasts flood eminence, thereby communicating the forecast as warnings to the relevant authorities.
The first runner-up, Team ‘Aboeko’, received a prize of one million naira, for developing an application that reports crime from crowd sourcing. The app is built to report and alert people of ongoing crime in certain geographic locations. With its digital security Chabot and voice activating technology, users can activate an alarm by shouting a key word during panic situation without having to unlock the phone or dial any number.
The third position went to Team ‘Gidi Secure’ with a reward of one hundred and fifty thousand naira and a six month free co-working space at Civic Hive, a technology hub for their smart innovativedevice for home security.
The competition also received very creative ideas from other participating teams, such Team ‘Setlot’ who created a distress notification mobile application that also works offline with its USSD support function; Team ‘Eko Eye’ came to showcase its drone base surveillance system that security agents can immediately dispatch to monitor distress areas. The drone is built with cameras that record robbery or attack incidents and reports through its back end to the police. Other innovative ideas to secure lives and property in Lagos where also pitched to the panel of judges which included Akintunde Oyebode; executive secretary, LSETF, Bukola Smith; Executive Director, FCMB, among others.
Speaking at the event, Akintunde Oyebode said the initiative was about using technology to solve security and social problems in Nigeria’s economic nerve center. He further stated that ‘part of our targets at the LSETF is to make Lagos the leading tech innovation destination for Africa through our Lagos Innovates initiative; which is a series of innovative programs aimed at supporting technology ecosystem in Lagos. One of the ways we aim to do this is by sponsoringtech events like the Secure Lagos Hackaton for technology experts to come to hack solutions.’
‘We started with developing security solutions today and we seeded 10 teams, which brought different innovative ideas on how to secure Lagos. They will be given some funding to go and develop their solutions. We have also partnered with FCMB in getting this done,’ he said.
Rolayo Akhigbe, the divisional head of transaction banking, FCMB, said that ‘to get the 10 teams, we actually had an open application of about 200, which was later pruned down to 160 and further pruning brought it to these 10.’
‘We saw an opportunity with the LSETF and we decided to partner and make it more robust, it is hightime the country starts patronising indigenous solutions, which are made by local developers, this will not only encourage them, but would ensure that something greater comes through the process already laid.’
Other teams presented; POCKETSEC: A surveillance app using a panoramic camera, Kisto; a timely reporting, tracking and resolution of high emergency situation app and Secure X; a wearable device that allows fast report of crime with a simple click.
Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson
