By Efe Onodjae

The Lagos State Government in partnership with the  Eko Innovation Centre, EIC have sponsored 15  young innovators to the 42nd Edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX Global and North Star 2022 in Dubai.

GITEX  is an annual consumer computer and electronics trade show and conference that takes place  at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates..

 The conference brings together thought leaders, inventors, innovators, and other key players in the technology sector, making it one of the most significant gathering spots on the globe. 

Over 10,000 investors from across the world attended the GITEX Global 2022 event, which also provided entrepreneurs with over 25,000 leads for investment meetings and partnership opportunities.

In previous years, participants would have had to travel to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship prize. 

But on May 12, 2022, the GITEX , in partnership with the Lagos State Government and the National Information Technology Development Agency,  NITDA organized the pitch event in Lagos at the Eko Innovation Centre.

The judges at the pitch event were; Akeem Hassan, Technical Assistant to Lagos State State Governor on Innovation and Technology; Tunbosun Alake, the special adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology; Segun Cole, Co-founder Fund the Gap Alliance; Amos Udok, 

Representative of NITDA included  Head, of Startups Lagos state employment Trust fund, Ireayo Oladunjoye; Unit head, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship ONDI, 

Oguntade Adeseyen and Co-Founder, Seedbuilders Innovation and Foundation, Olorunnisomo Olaoluwa, who  had about 27  startups pitch their ideas.

Two Nigerian technology start-ups, Paddy Cover and Pricepally.com emerged winners and received from Dubai World Trade Centre an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship reward.

The two winners, Paddy Cover and PricePally, will be joined by thirteen (13) additional teams for a complete, all-expenses-paid opportunity to compete in GITEX, making the total delegation from Lagos State fifteen (15) startups, the largest in the history of the Lagos State Government.

The list of the thirteen (13) additional startups includes: truQ, Quadloop, and Imperial EdTech, which are the second, third, and fourth-place finishers in the GITEX Lagos State pitch session; Wellness Health Technologies, D’Aggregate, and LiveBic, which are currently enrolled in the EIC acceleration program; AppZone, Kodobe, Farmz2U, Cdial, RxAll Inc, Curacel, and Evolvestack.

Five  out of the fifteen 15 startups supported by the Lagos State Government advanced to the semifinals of the competition. Paddycover, Pricepally, LiveBic, Wellness Health Technologies, and Evolvestack are the startups.