YOTA announces entries for Youth Innovation Challenge 2022

YOTA has released the list of innovation topics received in the Youth Innovation Challenge.

MSME Africa gathers than more than 1,300 submissions were received from young innovators in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria who took the opportunity of the Challenge to pitch their ideas and projects.

These innovative ideas seeks to alleviate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and their communities.

Young innovators have proposed initiatives to create change and contribute to post-pandemic recovery efforts through grassroots innovation in a variety of sectors, including tourism and agriculture.

A study in Nigeria aims to develop a method that will simply increase vaccine uptake and coverage.

In Liberia, a suggested solution aims to assist hospitals, educational institutions, and local governments in lowering the expense of trash disposal and potential health risks during pandemics.

Additionally, a Ghanaian start-up aims to stop the long-term exposure to air pollution brought on by using unclean and polluted cooking techniques, which increases sensitivity to the worst COVID-19 effects.

The Executive Director of YOTA, Emmanuel Edudzie, stressed that “just by the sheer number of submissions received from only four countries, Africa’s youth have clearly demonstrated a big appetite for leading the way in addressing common problems through youth-led innovation and social action in times of COVID; what is needed is to provide the support they need to bring these contributions to life”.

In reviewing the submissions, the judging team paid careful attention to the advertised criteria, and ensured to give special preferences to young women innovators.

Click HERE to see the list of all 24 entries.