Rise Labs by Rise Networks, Nigeria’s first AI powered Learning, Research and Work Readiness Centre based in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, has announced the emergence of fourteen (14) semi-finalists for its Artificial Intelligence Ideathon competition.
The Rise Labs in partnership with KPMG, BusinessDay, Terragon, TechEconomy.ng, TechCabal, TechNext and other Key Private Sector Stakeholders launched the Nation’s first Artificial Intelligence Ideathon in August this year.
The twelve semi-finalists have revolutionary ideas that have the potential of solving Nigeria’s Education, Agriculture, Healthcare and financial inclusion problems using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models and methodologies.
Artificial Intelligence is expected to transform various industries just as Electricity did over 10 Decades ago and global consulting firm, McKinsey has stated that non-internet sectors like Agriculture, Education, Energy, Logistics & Manufacturing will see a $13 Trillion GDP growth driven by AI by 2030.
The 2019 AI Ideathon platform was opened to students, data scientists, working professionals, developers and academics across Nigeria who are passionate about becoming the early pioneers of groundbreaking innovative solutions to the challenges identified above by applying their knowledge and ideas in the realm of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Solutions while encouraging research and collaboration to drive industry-focused AI innovation and the uptake of AI-driven results across sectors.
Winners of the Ideathon will get the rare opportunity of a veritable springboard to showcase and share their AI and ML models and applications to a broad community of stakeholders especially Policy Makers, Technology Experts and Organizations, Leaders in the Private Sector and Venture Capitalists to facilitate the scaling and execution of their ideas.
They will also win world class, brand new work tools and software which include an Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018) +$1000, a Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch), a 13-inch, 2018 MacBook Air along with a Publication of their Ideas in The Rise Labs National AI Innovation e-book, Mentorship Support by some the best AI Innovators & Experts within Nigeria & around the World, National Public Recognition & Opportunity to Network and fundraise at WORKPLAN: Africa’s Action Plan on Education, Skills and the Future of Work for the Youth on December 17, 2019 and a Free 3-6months Workspace, Incubation and Technical support at The Rise Labs.
Submission of entries for the Ideathon started at 12:01am on August 19th, 2019 and ended at 11:59pm on September 20th, 2019 (West Africa Time).
The Founder of Rise Networks, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, has always maintained that with the poor quality education and healthcare systems in Nigeria in addition to the inequalities in access to financial services and infrastructural challenges facing Agriculture in Nigeria, the ultimate mission of The Rise Labs is to ensure that Nigeria plugs into and benefits from the 4th Industrial Revolution.
This, she said, can be done by leveraging emerging technologies like AI and Machine Learning and increase the global competitiveness of young Nigerians across industries by improving the quality of their skills and knowledge in alignment with the future of work.
Artificial Intelligence powered Chatbots like ISE the Job Bot, created by The Rise Labs by Rise Networks which is the first Career Coaching Job Bot in West Africa, will power 85 percent of customer service by 2020 and cut business costs by $8 Billion by 2022, according to Innovation Enterprise.
