Codefest is where ideas meets technology to create a unique product of enterprise and community. It is hackathon event, a software coding and application contest where students come together and use technology to transform ideas i to reality.
The event is close and its gonna be happening in different states in Nigeria. Students from different institutions will be coming together to make their unique idea a reality.
It will be happening life at Lagos, Abuja, Uyo, Owerri.
An interview was done with Chief Executive Officer Mr Demola Onanuga. And here are the great things he said and the plans he have for the great people in codefest Nigeria.
WHAT STIMULATED THE IDEA BEHIND CODEFEST NIGERIA HACK ATHON 2018 EVENT YOU ARE HOLDING THIS YEAR?
CodeFest is the first of many and we are convinced that we can be a change agent. I have learnt that whatever a person gives attention to, oftentimes improves of which, innovation is one of them.
CodeFest gives us the platform to reach out young Information Technology (IT) enthusiasts’ people in our society. The event gives us the platform to give attention to the IT space and more attention to providing solutions. CodeFest is a vehicle with which you can add value to the society. If one looks at history during the industrial age when electricity was being discovered, it changes everything, also in California during the Gold Rush.
The internet also has the capacity to give a symmetrical growth, which means the growth is huge. So Nigeria, like any developing country can take advantage of this invention to provide what I term of shortcut,
“Shortcut to catch up on so many.”
We have the manpower and the resources. Intellectual and Intelligence quotient (IQ) is not a racial thing. It is available, but what happens most times is that the opportunity to harness it might not be available to all.
The opportunities people in the western world enjoy, unfortunately a lot of people in Nigeria don’t have it. We provide some of these opportunities in our own way which I believe somehow will change the face of things to some extent.
In the future, what we look forward to is the change becoming a reality. This is because, the moment people sees the first one works, they would be more open and willing to embrace it. In fact the interest and aspiration will double.
That effort is what changes the society; because when people begin to see that they can access things they begin to make more effort to raise the bar. Therefore, the quality of products and solutions will increase. That motivation and passion, that’s exactly where we are coming from. This event is a bit of change the world or change Nigeria. In our own little way, we will contribute to the advancement of our environment and IT space in Nigeria.
WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS EVENT AND WHAT ARE YOUR REASONS?
It is basically for undergraduates in tertiary institutions. CodeFest is a kind of event that brings innovators and enterprise in Nigeria together. This is a software coding and application contest across higher institutions in Nigeria where students come together and use technology to transform ideas into reality.
We chose students because they are the sample population who are smart, inspired and active. If one opens them up to the world, it is continuity for us. In future, we might let other categories of people come in, but we believe the students provide us with an inspired population.
Another reason is that, they are in a controlled environment which we can be part of. We want to be part of the solution. By the time they graduate, they are self-reliant with a genuine focus. One thing we notice is that education has been a little too dimensional in our environment. Its philosophy is to study hard, get good grade, and secure a good job when you graduate.
But, Hack Athon is saying while you are in school you can start to add value to the society and make good money. By the time they graduate it won’t be necessary for them to look for job. Two or three can come together to launch a big company providing solutions and known everywhere.
Just look at the transportation industry for instance, almost 5 billion people move from point A to point B daily. So, a student can create a solution that can help people to organize and streamline their daily activities. I seldom go anywhere without using my Google map, it has now become a social thing.
All these are things that are at play now, CodeFest has now come in to provide the opportunity to the students, by the time they graduate, and they are already well programmed and better equipped for the society.
SPEAKING OF THE STUDENTS, DO YOU HAVE CERTAIN LEVEL YOU PICK FROM?
No, the only criteria in choosing the participants is that, once they are students who have the knowledge about coding, they are free to participate by registering. The only thing they do is that we prequalify them by interviewing them to make sure they have the basis to code.
HOW ABOUT EXTERNAL STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED, IS THE OFFER TO PARTICIPATE OPEN TO THEM OR IS IT BASICALLY FOR NIGERIAN STUDENTS?
For logistics purpose, we have tried to make it for Nigeria undergraduates but the opportunity is also open to serving corps members and external students currently serving in Nigeria.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE STUDENTS AFTER THE EVENT IN TERMS OF FOLLOW UP?
Absolutely, there will be follow up because some of the product that will be developed will be packaged. There’s going to be a continuous relationship between CodeFest and the teams. We will also be helping some of the people that have skill to get placement in various organizations for various projects and in various platforms.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT ORGANIZING THIS EVENT ANNUALLY OR WILL IT JUST STOP AFTER THIS YEAR AND MOVE ON TO ANOTHER PROJECT?
This is a project that we are looking forward to organizing annually for now. But, by popular demand, we still can make it happen twice a year.
