“Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up.” – President Obama in Ghana
The 2011 Apps4Africa Climate Challenge builds on the success of the 2010 Apps4Africa. This year , the civil society leaders are challenging software developers to find innovative technological solutions to everyday problems on issues ranging from transparency and governance to health and education. The 2011 competition begins in Western and Central Africa in September 2011, with Eastern and Southern Africa to follow. Winners will receive prizes, including cash awards. Challenge partners, including TED Conferences and Indigo Trust, may contribute technical assistance, prizes, and follow-on support for the new applications created by this competition.
What is Apps4Africa?
Apps4Africa began in late 2009 when several individuals and companies joined together to propose a competition that would reward local innovators for their ideas and projects. The 2010 challenge winners received prize money, media attention, and a special congratulatory message from Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
With coordination by Uganda software development firm Appfrica International, Apps4Africa brings civil society, NGOs, academia, and private sector organizations together with African technology innovators to develop applications that address local climate change adaptation challenges. In doing so, we seek to support the development of civil society and private-sector networks; and highlight African solutions to local climate change challenges.
The Climate Challenge centers around several strategic themes that coincide with policy decisions that will be debated and decided upon by world leaders at the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) conference in Durban, South Africa. The benefit of this is that it increases the chance that competition participants will find very eager decision makers eager to try, recommend, and otherwise support the applications and projects developed for the competition.
Lagos Regional Contest
The Apps4Africa Challenge will take place on 10 November 2011 at CcHUB 6th Floor, 294, Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba- Nigeria from 1pm till 5pm. The categories for Entry include:
- Agriculture (Distribution),
- Early Warning and/or Disaster Preparedness,
- Resource Management,
- Forestry/Deforestation,
- Transportation/Traffic/Emissions,
- Food Security,
- Livestock, and
- Health and Sanitation
The regional contest will also take place in Mali, Senegal, DRC, Ghana, (West Africa) Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, (East Africa) South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar and Angola (Southern Africa).
To register for this event, visit the event registration page.
