Nigerian incubator Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) has called for applications for its “Open Living Lab”, inviting entries from local entrepreneurs solving real day-to-day problems.
CcHub said it is looking for “innovative ideas that improve the lives of Nigerians”; the programme – also known as Social Change Lab – modelled on inviting end-users with clever solutions to problems to build their ideas into businesses with social impact.
Successful applicants will receive up to US$25,000 in funding, as well as market entry support and access to networks.
“The aim is to attract anyone with an idea, who is passionate about it. Someone who is frustrated with the current state of things and wants to make a change, to the point where they have started to explore around the topic/idea. Obviously, this is not easy to find or identify and we get a variety of ideas,” Olamide Udo-Udoma, project manager at CcHub told Disrupt Africa.
“From our experience the ideas that thrive have a dedicated person behind it, they are unique to the Nigerian context and try to solve a real Nigerian problem,” she said.
Applications are invited for ideas falling into six categories, namely, governance, transport, food security, healthcare, education, and the environment.
Within the governance category, CcHub said ideas such as tracking and reporting corruption, and improving citizen empowerment and education would be of interest.
Suggested points of focus for transport oriented entries include real-time public travel information solutions, solutions promoting transport safety, as well as improving emergency responses to transport accidents.
For the food security category, CcHub suggested themes such as facilitating farmers’ access to farming inputs, decreasing waste, and enabling new markets for Nigerian farm produce.
Tackling key health challenges such as malaria, HIV and TB are listed as focal points within the healthcare category; alongside promoting, storing and transporting vaccinations, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Education ideas could focus on supporting parents and their education-related decision making, or on supporting teachers, and improving teacher training.
Regarding environment, topics such as preparing for and mitigating the effects of climate change, and reducing waste are listed.
Applications close on December 14. For more information applicants can visit the Social Change Lab website.
