At Start-up Nigeria on Saturday 19th Of August 2017 -2

The Pitches.

The pitches were very interesting too. There were 11 different Entrepreneurs pitching their Business ideas. I was captivated by one project called “SIX”, it is an IoT based project for Road safety. The user is supposed to test themselves for being in the correct state of mind before driving rather than if they are drunk or not. Their premises is that not everybody respond the same way to alcohol, some have a very high level of tolerance to alcohol that they are very alert and able to drive safely after several bottles while others might just have a few sips with their mind already giving up on them. Instead of testing if someone is drunk or not, the test should be about if they are in the right state of mind to be able to drive safely. If someone is not in the correct state of mind to drive according to their project idea, the traffic safety device will make noise with audible instructions to this effect and will prevent the car from being driven.

I feel this idea is a very good one and should be adopted by safety conscious people even if possible enforced by law just like the Breathalyzer kind of thing. There are many a time I have traveled on this inter-city public transport and my heart is always in my mouth with the driver driving erratically and on top speed, you can never tell if they are drunk or not or if they are in their right state of mind to drive. You are at their mercy and you are left praying fervently for safe landing at the other end. I always wondered if these drivers are even aware of their own personal safety let alone that of the passengers in their vehicle.

If this kind of device could be successfully implemented and supported by the government, I would like to see it at every Bus and Taxi Park where vehicles take off for long-distance traveling. Before any driver sit behind the wheel to drive they must be made to pass this road-worthiness test and shown off the vehicle if they fail. They do all sort of things at the Parks that all drivers agree to, they like it or not and I feel that this one should be welcome by everyone. It is not a matter of liking or not, it is a matter of safety for the majority of people who have no other choice but to leave themselves at the mercy of complete strangers for hours of traveling.

The winner of the pitches was a farmers support project called “Beat Drone” This is supposed to provide aerial crop spraying service for farms using Drones. The second place went to “Nicademia” a Cartoon project agregating all African Cartoons in one place, offering access to viewers as well as supporting African Cartoonist. The premises of the project is to promote and support African Cartoon and African Cartoon Artist. The Third place went to Accounteer, an online Accounting system. All the Business ideas on presentation were quite interesting and full of promises. On a personal note, I was happy to attend for the first time and will surely attend the next one if it is taking place in the South-West.

I saw familiar faces at the event too, people I have met else where, which makes it more reassuring for me to attend and keep attending. Earlier in the year, I attended Startup South-West, which took place in Ibadan my home City, some of the people I met at this event also attended, most importantly Mr Ibrahim Jega, the Founder of Startup Arewa. I heard Tedx was taking place in Yaba the same day, I wondered if I had known before, which one would I have chosen to attend. Good I don’t have to make that choice.

I am very excited about this year, many events coming up that I hope to attend, taking Webhostville places, insha Allah!. I so much wish I can attend Startup GITEX in Dubai later in the year, who will sponsor me? The eLearn Africa 2017 Conference in Mauritius, how I wish I can attend, it promises to be very educative and resource-full. Closer to home, there are many more I have to attend starting September.