Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev) in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled #DigitalForAllChallenge 2.0, Africa’s largest free digital skills competition aimed at empowering two million Nigerians with basic and intermediate digital skills.
It will also offer participants the chance to win over N150 million cash.
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According to the organisers, #DigitalForAllChallenge is structured to promote the learning and the spread of digital skills in Nigeria through an incentivised structure. This inclusive programme is open to participants from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, catering to three distinct categories: young learners (ages 8-15), youths (16-45) and civil servants nationwide.
#DigitalForAllChallenge 2.0 spans 12 months and is divided into three phases. The first phase is a six-month learning phase that focuses on knowledge acquisition, followed by a two-month competition phase with emphasis on practical application and mastery of the acquired skills – this competition phase happens at state, regional and national levels, and the final stage is the national grand finale that brings together all regional champions across the three target categories; young learners, youth and civil servants for selection of the winners.
Winners in the young learners’ category stand a chance to win cash scholarships, with the national winner receiving N10 million, the first runner-up will receive N7.5 million and the second runner-up will receive N5 million. The teacher of the national winner will receive N5 million while an ICT laboratory will be opened in the national winner’s school in collaboration with NITDA.
In the civil service category, the national winner will receive N10 million cash prize, the first runner-up will get N7.5 million and the second runner-up will receive N5 million.
For the youth category, under the basic level, the national winner secures a N10 million cash prize, the first runner-up will receive N7.5 million and the second runner-up will receive N5 million, while the intermediate level youth category winner will take home N15 million, the first runner-up will take home N12.5 million and the second runner-up will receive N10 million.
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Following its conclusion, a four-month post-challenge phase will support 5,000 beneficiaries. This phase will focus on facilitating jobs, paid internship placements and freelancing opportunities for 1,000 individuals.
Speaking at the launch, founder and president of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, emphasised that #DigitalForAllChallenge2.0 was more than a training programme.
He said it was a platform to encourage Nigerians to embrace the digital economy and reward people’s commitment to positive change.
