Ensibuuko app wins agri-innovation challenge @ICT4Ag ‘13

NaijaAgroNet:

Ensibuuko agri-solution led the quadruplet of Messrs Richard Zulu, Gerald Otim, Daniel Opio and Ms Winnie Mbabazi emerged top winners at the just concluded Agri-Hackathon championship host as part of the Information and Communication Technology for Agriculture (ICT4Ag) international conference in Rwanda, the NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet quoted The Observer as the Ugandan team of app developers outshined other contestants to go home with the 5,000 euros, about N1,056,467.00 prize money.

“The Ugandan farmers have won. We share a similar background with them and we know how they struggle to finance their activities,” declared Richard Zulu at Serena Hotel Kigali venue.

“For us the prize is a bonus after an extensive week of learning and sharing ideas with some of the best developers in the region,” Zulu said.

According to Zulu, the Ensibuuko app provides the ultimate solution to smallholder farmers. It comes with rich products which enhance the power of a mobile and web technologies to help small-holder rural farmers in Uganda acquire and pay loans to (non) microfinance institutions easily, quickly and in an accessible way. It uses an automated mobile money and SMS (Short Message Service).

“We are working in 35 districts in Uganda. Most smallholder farmers are unbanked and lack creditworthiness…that is why they need and have embraced this product,” noted Gerald Otim, the business development manager.

Isaac Oyimah with additional reports from The Observer/GEE.
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Pix: L-R: Rwanda minister for agriculture, Agnes Kalibata, Richard Zulu, Gerald Otim, Daniel Opio and Winnie Mbabazi

GE-USADF Off-Grid Energy Challenge: Winners to emerge Nov. 21

NaijaAgroNet:

Following the recent closure of entries for the 2013 Off-Grid Energy Challenge by the General Electronics (GE) and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), winners are set to emerge on November 21 in a ceremony in Lagos, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the challenge was recently launched in Kenya and Nigeria thereby commencing the judging process in anticipation of the announcement of this year’s winners from both countries.

Investigations by NaijaAgroNet reveals that over the next three years, some 20 individuals and indigenous African companies who come up with innovative solutions that address the energy challenges of African communities and businesses stand a chance of winning up to USD 100,000 in grants to support their initiatives.

According to NaijaAgroNet searches, the judges are looking out for off-grid energy solutions that have created innovative approaches to metering, payment, collections, or transmission.

“They will also look out for entries that deliver sustainable energy to underserved marginal populations without degrading the environment,” a source told NaijaAgroNet.

The President and CEO, GE Africa, Jay Ireland expressed excitements that the Off-Grid Energy challenge is generating increased awareness about the plight of communities that are either underserved by the national grid or are not connected at all.

“We have no doubt that great solutions will emerge from this initiative, which will ultimately provide some insight to how to tackle some of the off-grid energy challenges in Africa” he said.

USADF President and CEO, Shari Berenbach said the initiative will help leverage more marginalized and underserved communities into positions where they could engage in and benefit from inclusive economic growth.

She noted that over the last 30 years, the USADF has championed initiatives that have contributed in catalyzing Africans out of poverty, stressing, “We are proud to be in partnership with GE on this initiative, which clearly resonates with everything that USADF stands for.”

NaijaAgroNet equally recollects that the Off-Grid Energy challenge is the initiative of global infrastructure giants, General Electric (GE) and the United States Africa Development Agency (USADF), which rides on the back of the Power Africa initiative announced by President Barack Obama during his recent visit to Africa.

The Power Africa initiative seeks to drive growth in Africa by increasing access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power and by helping to ensure responsible, transparent and effective management of energy resources on the continent.

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Pix: Lazarus Angbazo, President/CEO General Electric, Nigeria