When it comes to the Young Tycoon Business Challenge, there’s an established pattern. Typically, developers put together applications that can help shift the culture of business as we know it. However, Chioma Abone and Emmanuel Ilok decided to do something more worthwhile. They developed an anti-kidnapping app, something that could help young Nigerian women when it came to fighting back against abduction.
During the competition last year, the two Nigerian schoolgirls, who attend Greensprings School in Lagos, submitted an idea for an application that would read wearable technology on students. That way, in case they ever disappeared from the grounds — sadly, something that happens more often than not in their region — they could easily be tracked.
The girls used their technical prowess to use Airguard to put together both the app and the wearable technology. They did this as part of a means to decrease kidnapping cases within their region. At the same time, their efforts began raising awareness of how big a problem it is.
The app yielded massive results. Both Abone and Ilok succeeded to the point that the combination of application and wearable technology became a finalist for the 2021 version of the Young Tycoon Business Challenge. And the awareness it has raised is certainly turning heads.
The presentation helped highlight the crisis.
Continuing on with their presentation at the Young Tycoon Business Challenge, they explained how it would operate.
Their product uses an Airguard app and wearable that would use the level of alert in case someone went outside of a designated safe range. This included notifying anyone immediately related to them, such as friends or family.
“We decided to work on an idea about a company called Paramount Guard, which seeks to offer security services to school students, not only in Nigeria but all over the world,” the pair explained during their presentation. “The company plans to introduce AirGuard Wearable, which pairs with the AirGuard App to help students quickly alert family members and friends when in a critical situation or a state of emergency.”
The duo explained that after hearing about so many abductions happening near them, they decided to act upon it using a resource that could be most helpful to the cause – their minds.
Not an easy competition…but they went far.
Even with all the goodwill behind their technological idea, the girls did find themselves in heavy competition.
The Young Tycoon Business Challenge for 2021 had a total of over 7,000 participants, spanning 80 different countries. That’s a lot more people vying for a technical triumph than you might expect. The ceremony would also go through three rounds of elimination. After that, the final 28 would end up being selected to compete for the overall prize.
However, the girls persevered and, as a result, ended up as part of that 28, moving forward with their brilliant idea to help fellow students in a time of need.
“The inspiration for our business idea came from insecurity in the country,” the girls added to their presentation. “As students, we are not happy with the news of the constant abduction of fellow students in some parts of Nigeria.”
The girls did not end up winning the top prize. However, they created more than enough awareness of what they had in mind. Possibly, they sent a message to would-be kidnappers that the existence of an anti-kidnapping app could be a threat to any plans they may have.
Anti-kidnapping app brings an incredible sense of accomplishment.
Despite not scoring the top prize in the 2021 Young Tycoon Business Challenge, the girls remain committed to their project. Furthermore, with enough exposure to the idea, they believe a company could eventually begin development.
Mrs. Magdalene Okrikri, a secondary school principal for Greensprings, provided support for the project. “This achievement is a testament to Greensprings School’s drive to raise young entrepreneurs,” she told The Guardian. “We are indeed very proud of them and I wish them success.”
Nigerian innovation leads to greatness.
What’s great about the success of these two girls is that it’s a trend. It’s not the first time that Nigeria has represented in the competition. It won’t be the last.
In 2018, a team of five Nigerian students scored the top prize at the Technovation World Challenge in California. They developed an app that would be able to detect artificial drugs over the real thing.
A year later, in 2019, another group of Nigerian students developed an app focused on education. As a result, they too earned top marks at the Technovation Awards Finals. Despite not winning first place, it too brought Nigeria great honor.
The country’s young minds are making a name for themselves in some of the best app developments in the world. Each has a different meaning that can do better for their country. Whether it’s an anti-kidnapping app, detecting fake drugs, or something else along the lines of education, they’re doing a world of good.
The next round of the Youth Tycoon Business Challenge kicks off later this month. It’ll be interesting to see what Nigerian students do next!
The post Two Nigerian Schoolgirls Have Created a Terrific Anti-Kidnapping App appeared first on KillerStartups.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com
April 15, 2022 at 10:35AM by Robert Workman, Khareem Sudlow
