The Lagos State government hosted a two-day event that included the ceremony to honor individuals, groups, and start-ups that have demonstrated exceptional efforts to foster the expansion of the Nigerian IT industry.
The Social Innovation Award, which was intended to recognize startups that have shown extraordinary dedication to social innovation and promoting sustainable development through their technology inventions, was given to ALX as the winner. The tech company received the most votes in a fiercely competitive category, defeating other well-regarded nominees like Slum2School, LifeBankNG, Hervest, Clafiya, MDaas Global, and Dynalimb Technologies.
Ruby Igwe, Country Manager for ALX Nigeria, responded to the award by stating that it was a validation of the company's purpose.
We have devoted many years of effort to equipping thousands of young people in Nigeria with global technology skills that would enable them to become employable, morally upright, and entrepreneurial leaders. Our greatest sources of inspiration are the endorsements from our present students and the achievements of our ALX fellows; this unique honor has only inspired us to work even harder. We'll keep supporting social innovation in Nigeria. We have expanded our educational initiatives to include secondary schools in Lagos for this reason," the speaker stated.
The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged all federal and state actors to work with players in the ICT area in his welcoming speech. Together, we can put policies into place that will protect intellectual property and foster an atmosphere in which invention is not only valued but actively encouraged, he stated.
The conference theme was chosen because the creative economy is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Nigerian economy, according to the host and commissioner of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology, Lagos State, Tunbosun Alake. This highlights the importance of the theme for the event.
A large number of industry participants from the cinema, music, fashion, design, and advertising sectors attended the event, which had as its theme "The Creative Economy and a Digital Lagos." There were numerous keynote speeches, panel discussions, and exhibitions.