The Nigerian city of Jos will in November host the second edition of the HackJos software and app competition, designed to foster interest among young people in software development and the entire spectrum of ICT.
Aside from a four-day hackathon, HackJos will also feature a one-day conference under the theme “How ready is Nigeria for the Internet of Things (IoT)?”.
The competition took place for the first time last year, and was eventually won by Team Crystal for a system that uses a mobile device from anywhere in the world to control electrical appliances in the home or office.
This year’s event will feature around 30 teams, developing apps and solutions under the framework of Nigeria’s readiness for IoT and sector-by-sector challenges in Nigeria’s economic space.
HackJos will bring together techy-savvy citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, students, programmers and developers from across Nigeria.
“People may wonder “why Jos?”. We are bringing people to experience the changing dynamics in Jos which recent history has been painfully gory. We want them to come see the quiet transition as Jos acquires a new reputation as the go-to-place for innovation to harness the ability of young people for innovation in ICT,” said Daser David, chief executive officer (CEO) of nHub Nigeria, the organiser of HackJos.
“We welcome participants and international delegates to HackJos 2016 into Jos – home of peace and tourism. Despite recent sad challenges, Jos beckons with opportunities for various economic activities. We are glad to share with the world our improving statistics on conflict management and restoring of order for business,” said the boss of the Plateau State ICT Agency, Rahab Shik, on behalf of the Plateau State Government.
