The 4 youth by youth Innovation bootcamp organised by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Saint Louis University, New York University, and the University of North Carolina, has ended with Team SMART winning the competition and getting a N1 million reward.
Team B-STAR won N750,000 for coming second and Team GENRA won N500,00 for coming third.
The four-week Innovation Bootcamp was organised for young people to delve into entrepreneurship and innovation management skills, while applying basic research principles that will help encourage HIV self-testing among young people in Nigeria.
Participants were trained on several modules, including creating strategic planning techniques, orchestrating an innovation ecosystem, developing a minimum viable product, cost models and budget plans, managing ethical issues around HIV and research, engaging with key community stakeholders and so much more.
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Top teams were tasked to present a 10-minute pitch deck at the event, after which they were judged based on feasibility, desirability and potential impact of their proposed innovation plan.
I-TEST Principal Investigator Dr Juliet Iwelunmor, who spoke on the impact of the bootcamp, said: “Our ultimate goal is the young people in Nigeria, the youths, who will be the leaders and partners of the HIV self-testing in Nigeria. We just concluded our four-week boot camp where the winners of designathon were selected to get training on research, entrepreneurship, and engagement, with key stakeholders on how to promote HIV self-testing in Nigeria.”
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