There is still space for you to submit your project for next year Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) Awards. The IPA prize honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or saving cost in Africa. The prize also promotes among young African men and women the pursuit of science, technology and engineering careers as well as business opportunities with potentials of contributing to sustainable development in Africa.
Overall, it aims to among other things: mobilize leaders from all sectors to fuel African innovation; promote innovation across Africa in key sectors of interest through the competition: promote science, technology and engineering as rewarding, exciting and noble career options among the youth in Africa by profiling successful applicants and encourage entrepreneurs, innovators, funding bodies and business development service providers to exchange ideas and explore innovative business opportunities.
So far, applications have been received from various countries – including Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mali
Ms Eskedar Nega, a programme officer at UNECA’s ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) described the IPA initiative, founded by UNECA and the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) in 2012, as an “African programme that promotes and encourages innovation in the continent.”
“The IPA focuses on African-led solutions aimed at recognizing innovative breakthroughs to unlock new African potential and mobilizing leaders from all sectors to fuel African innovation,” said Ms Nega, adding that the theme for the IPA 2013 theme “the Future We Innovate” with deadline for entries being October 31, 2012.
“Just like last year, most of the applicants are drawn from Nigeria and Kenya and we hereby urge innovators from other African countries to submit their innovative ideas and projects. IPA has further benefits for the finalists and winners in that it links them venture capitalists to fund their project and also offers training as well as networking opportunities,” said Ms Nega at the Africa IGF pre-event workshop held at the Smart Village in Cairo, Egypt.