32 schools scramble for ISPON software cup

By Emeka Aginam
With the entry deadline extended to seven days, no fewer than 32 tertiary institutions are currently scrambling to win the national software innovation cup instituted by the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, (ISPON) .
The schools, among which are University of Calabar, Calabar; University of Uyo, Uyo; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye; Delta State University, Abraka; Cross Rivers State University of Technology, Calabar; The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Uyo City Polytechnic; Federal Polytechnic, Offa; Yaba College of Technology, Yaba; Federal Polytechnic, Idah, among others are among the schools making apparent effort to scale through.

While others are making frantic efforts to beat the submission deadline, Moses Braimah, ISPON Chairman of PR and Communications Committee said that the decision by ISPON NEC and the judges to extend the submission date by 7 days was in response to pleas from contenders at various schools to enable them complete the documentation of their applications for the competition. Also, as at the time the entry opened many of the universities, he said were yet to start the new academic session”
The competition which is being sponsored by Cross Rivers State Government, NITDA, MTN, NIGCOMSAT, VISAFONE, NCC and others, he said, is part of ISPON’s first National Software Conference which will take place at Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar between 27-28 October, 2011.
For the President ISPON, Chris Uwaje, the national software competition was informed by the strategic need to fast-track Nigeria’s aspirations for global competitiveness in the Knowledge Economy by building high-skill capacities for knowledge industries such as software.”
“ With 60% of Nigeria’s population under 30 years of age, ISPON believes that the dream of Vision 20:2020 is realizable only by accelerated efforts to build and unlock the innovation capabilities of our youth, who have propelled Nigeria over just 4 years to becoming the 10th largest internet user base in the world with 43m users” he said.