Author: Jennifer Oro-Oghene Etegbeke

Tech for Good 2023: Exploring Tech for Good Conferences and its Transformative Impact

Post author By Jennifer Oro-Oghene Etegbeke
Post date November 30, 2023
No Comments on Tech for Good 2023: Exploring Tech for Good Conferences and its Transformative Impact
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Have you ever anticipated an event only to find that when it unfolds, it surpasses all your expectations?

That was the feeling I got from the Tech for Good 3.0 event ????

What is Tech for Good?

Tech for Good (T4G) is an annual conference that aims to highlight technological advancements benefiting African communities for social progress. Tech for Good was established to counteract the negative information circulating about technology and its utilization in Africa. For further insight into the conference’s mission, delve into the details of the inaugural edition.

Past editions have been truly amazing, as evidenced by the positive feedback received. Now, let me take you through all the exciting details of the recently concluded third edition (3.0) of Tech for Good, which took place on October 21, 2023, at The Autograph, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Don’t miss out on this exciting update!

See past Tech for Good Conferences on the website or read the feature on Vanguard and This Day Live.

Tech for Good 3.0: Unveiling Impactful Moments and Innovations

Tech for Good 3.0 was incredibly impactful, drawing a crowd of 200+ attendees, featuring 8 speakers and 8 social impact organizations, and awarded 10 mentors in the Tech for Good Social Impact Awards.

The event also received 21 submissions in the Hack for Good Hackathon through DoraHacks and GitHub. The three winning teams were:

ReforestAI – Battling Climate Change with Smart Forest Solutions (1st Place). Read more in ReforestAI: Another Hackathon Challenge Accepted

RealEstateX – Revolutionizing Real Estate with NFT-Based Fractionalization (2nd Place). Our Hack for Good Story by Real Estate X.

Crypto Mayhem – This game enlightens the player on the importance of water pollution (3rd Place). Watch the demo on Youtube.

They were rewarded with a total of $650 in cash and $700 in XuperAuth credits, generously sponsored by Techrity, XuperAuth, and Mently.

This year’s edition stood out with the introduction of paid ticketing, elevating the event management experience to a whole new level. The ticketing revenue exceeded #500,000, including sales from the regular, VIP, and Company Access categories, all made possible through the Nftikets Event Ticketing Platform.

See past Tech for Good Conferences on the website or read the feature on Vanguard and This Day Live.

This achievement was thanks to the incredible support from community members like Chibuzo Madumere, Akuma Isaac, Paula Daopuye, Stephen Okonkwo, Chekwube Peters, Felix Ogbuji, Karla Obakpolor, Sagir Garba, Daniel Emmanuel, and Segun Francis, who enthusiastically participated in the #PayItForwardChallenge, enabling over 100 sponsored tickets.

This year’s conference started with an opening speech from the founder, Mrs. Owanate Amachree-Godwin,

It also showcased experienced speakers, including Uche Aniche, the Convener of Startup South, discussing how African startups can utilize technology.

*Mr. Uche Aniche Preaching the Gospel of Startups*

Jephtah Abu, founder of Talentpoel, talked about the impact of exporting tech talents in Africa

while Susan Odurinde, founder of Cactus Tech, focused on innovative thinking for social impact.

See past Tech for Good Conferences on the website or read the feature on Vanguard and This Day Live.

Kelvin Ogba Dafiaghor, Regional Manager in Africa for Global STEM Initiative, highlighted how AI is transforming Africa positively.

*Mr Kelvin Dafiaghor highlights the benefits of AI transformation in Africa*

Wisdom Nwokocha shared insights on finding and securing freelance technical writing clients

Ayoleyi Lurogho discussed evolving UX thinking beyond drag and drop,

and Kelechi Oliver addressed cloud adoption for early-stage startups.

Ibe Andyson focused on choosing a tech career based on understanding personality traits and more.

Social Impact Organizations

Social impact organizations and companies dedicated to realizing the vision of Tech for Good were actively involved. These entities were invited to share their impactful stories, to highlight their contributions to the tech sector. Participating organizations included:

SpitalLabs

Spital Labs is a community and tech hub with a vision to provide high-quality technical training through cohort programmes and diverse channels, to scale digital education to millions.

Code Ambassadors

Code Ambassadors Academy is a STEM.org Accredited academy that inspires and equips kids/teens between the ages of 5 and 17 with coding, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills to turn their ideas into solutions. We achieve this by providing training, mentorship, and exhibition events.

Technoville

Technoville was founded in 2018, by passionate young people who believe that technology can transform individuals and nations. We are equipping the next generation of innovators with in-demand digital skills. Nurturing tech talent, bridging the talent gap with well-curated programs, fostering digital excellence, and driving the future of tech innovation.

Dantown

Dantown is a crypto exchange that offers buy and sell services for crypto, fast payments, and 24/7 customer service. Other benefits include airtime purchases, cable TV subscriptions, utility bill payments, and virtual USD cards.

XuperAuth

XuperAuth is a walletless, passwordless authentication system that leverages blockchain technology to provide secure and convenient access to Web3 products. It eliminates the need for users to manage complex private keys or remember passwords, making it easier for them to engage with blockchain applications.

Our suite of APIs and SDKs is designed to empower DApps with walletless, and passwordless authentication, revolutionizing user experiences, and increasing adoption rates in the Web3 ecosystem.

Mently

The Mently Mentorship platform enables you to scale your mentorship programs with ease, automate, host and manage the entire lifecycle of your mentorship program. The platform provides automated matching of mentors to mentees, creates curriculums and manages your training in one place.

NFTikets

NFTikets is an online ticketing for any type of live and virtual event.

Highlights

Another interesting moment observed at Tech for Good 3.0 was the showcase of two children from Code Ambassadors. These children showcased and talked about the work they have been building at Code Ambassadors. The first one is GBS Alert. You can watch the demo video and the pitch video. The second one is the Hazel App. You can watch the demo video and pitch video.

Tech for Good Awards

The Tech for Good Social Impact Awards honors individuals, startups, non-profits, and volunteers who use their platforms to better their community and the global community at large.

At the third edition of Tech for Good 3.0, we are celebrated mentors who have dedicated their time and resources to sharing knowledge and mentoring newbies into Tech careers.

At the heart of Techrity’s mission lies its annual mentorship program, which nurtures and guides aspiring tech talents, empowering them to become agents of change in their communities. This program provides mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities, fostering a supportive environment where young innovators can thrive.

Through its mentorship program, Techrity has played a crucial role in shaping the tech landscape of the Niger Delta. Mentors, drawn from a pool of experienced professionals and industry experts, provide invaluable guidance and support to mentees, helping them develop their technical skills, entrepreneurial mindset, and problem-solving abilities. This nurturing environment has nurtured a new generation of tech leaders equipped with the skills and knowledge to tackle their communities’ challenges.

The impact of Techrity’s mentorship program extends far beyond individual mentees, shaping the trajectory of innovation and social impact in the region. By empowering young talents to harness the power of technology, Techrity is fostering a culture of innovation that is addressing real-world challenges and creating a more sustainable future for the Niger Delta.

Techrity’s efforts are not limited to mentorship; the foundation also provides Data support and laptops to beginners looking to kickstart their careers. This comprehensive approach to nurturing innovation has resulted in the development of homegrown solutions that address critical issues in education, healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.

*Smiley face ???? and serious face ????*

*Founder of Blockchain Uniport – Proudly talking about how his community was a winner in the hackathon ????*

Founder and Team Lead – Owanate Amachree-Godwin giving the keynote address

We would like to thank our sponsors, partners, organization, attendees who helped make the Tech for Good Conference a success. Special thanks to those who participated in the #PayItForward Challenge which helped to provide 100+ sponsored tickets to attendees of the event.

 Chibuzo Madumere, Godwin Jimmy, Akuma Isaac, Sagir Garba, Daniel Emmanuel, Segun Francis, Felix Ogbuji, Paula Daopuye, Chekwube Peters, Stephen Okonkwo, Karla Obakpolor, who enthusiastically participated in the #PayItForwardChallenge, enabling over 102 sponsored (free) tickets.

As the convener of the Tech for Good Annual Conference, Techrity Innovation Foundation has established itself as a driving force behind the region’s tech ecosystem. The foundation’s unwavering commitment to empowering young innovators, fostering collaboration, and promoting the responsible use of technology for social good is making a tangible impact on the lives of communities across the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.

The success of T4G 3.0 is a testament to the transformative power of technology and the unwavering dedication of individuals and organizations working to harness its potential for positive change. The conference has set a new standard for innovation and social impact in Africa, inspiring a new generation of tech leaders to embrace technology as a tool for creating a brighter future for Africa.

Important Links

See more photos from Tech for Good 3.0
Help a new talent into tech by purchasing something from the Merch by Techrity store.

For more inquiries about the Tech for Good conference, sponsorship and donation, send an email to hello@techrity.org, or techrityorg@gmail.com

Wow! That was a lot to digest. I hope I have been able to summarize all about Tech for Good 3.0.

Don’t miss out on future updates, follow @techrityorg on all socials ????

Tags hackforgood, sdgs, t4g, techforgood, techrity

Best practices General How-Tos Tech

How to Conduct User Research as a Newbie Designer

Post author By Jennifer Oro-Oghene Etegbeke
Post date January 10, 2022
No Comments on How to Conduct User Research as a Newbie Designer

As a new designer in the design field, it can be quite a daunting task when you want to conduct user research, be it for a personal project or a client’s work.

User Research is a broad topic, which cannot be covered in one article. In this article, I will walk you through what user research is, the purpose of user research, the processes to be followed when carrying out user research, and also the importance of user research.

What is User Research?

User Research can be plainly said to be trying to understand how a user would feel and what they might go through when using a product or service. This answers so many questions such as:

What will be the first thing that comes to the user’s mind?
What will be the next step a user will take?
Will the user have trouble navigating the product?
Will the user be willing to pay for the service?
What will make the user satisfied and not complain, or at least, have the barest complaints?

These and many more questions, depending on the type of product or service, are answered when carrying out user research.

What is the Purpose of Conducting User Research?

Simply put, the purpose of conducting user research is to help you understand the problem you’re trying to solve; telling you who your users are, how they will use your product or service, and most importantly, what they need from you. You are offering them a service so it is only wise you know what they want and how they want it or expect it to be.

What Processes Should be Followed?

When Conducting user research, a conventional process is followed. Although, most people would want to go the extra mile. Here are five (5) processes I follow:

Identify the problem
Create solutions
Carry out feedback and surveys
Evaluate the feedback and surveys
Recreate

When you are carrying out user research, the processes above are meant to be followed. As a good user researcher, the identification of the problem you intend to solve should be the first thing. If you can’t identify any problem(s), then you can not proffer any solution. When you identify the problem(s), you create solutions. It could be a product you want to build, or a service to render or anything. Carrying surveys and getting feedback from people (users) about the solution you created is vital. Without people using your product or service, you wouldn’t know if you created a solution. Working on the feedback gotten is also very important because you don’t know the minds of everyone and you have to provide what they (users) are okay with. This is a repeated process, hence the need to always check the service you are offering or listen to the users using that service.

Importance of User Research

Many benefits come with conducting proper user research.

Customers Satisfaction: When you conduct proper user research for a product or service and build it according to the research findings, based on what the users want, you satisfy them in ways that you can’t fathom. You will gain their trust because the product/service is tailored to their needs.

Product/Service Usage: If a customer or user is satisfied with a service that you provided them, they are more likely to make more use of it. Hence, the product/service will not just be dormant but will be used for what it is created for.

Revenue Generation: When there is continuous use of your product, you get more profit, if it’s a paid service. The more people use it, the more money you generate.

Awareness: When a user makes use of your product/service and is satisfied with it, they go on to tell the next person. There’s this feeling of having tasted something good, you can’t keep it to yourself.

Conclusively, user research is just a way of knowing and understanding what your target users need to know the best possible way to create the best products with a great user experience and they are carried out using various methods.

Carrying out research makes you better!

As a User Researcher, you feel I have not covered the processes involved, please, do well to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

Visit: https://techrity.org and join the community to join other user researchers and designers.

Thank you.

Tags article, design, designer, how-to, tech, techrity, user-research

Kickstart Tech Techrity Programmes

TECHing The Young: Techrity IWD2021 Educational Outreach Program

Post author By Jennifer Oro-Oghene Etegbeke
Post date April 12, 2021
No Comments on TECHing The Young: Techrity IWD2021 Educational Outreach Program

Student of Inama Int'l School at Techrity IWD 2021 — Techrity IWD2021

The impact of educational outreach programs in schools can be felt on the academic, physiological, and psychological traits of the students.

Various barriers prevent many young ones, even the young female, from starting a career in tech at an early age. One of such barriers is the lack of sensitization of an early career start in tech, even as a secondary school student, limited availability of resources and materials for learning, as well as a Mentor, to guide and track progress.

Techrity’s talent development scheme called the Kickstart program is aimed at solving these problems. We embarked on an outreach program tagged: TECHing the Young in various secondary schools in a bid to educate the young ones on the need to start a career in tech at a young age to boycott the unemployment problem faced in Nigeria. The outreach program was embarked on to commemorate the International Women’s Day held on 8th March 2021, and also to sensitize the female gender and educate them on the opportunities for females in technology, this was done as part of our commitment to the UN SDGs 5: Bridging the gap in gender disparity in the tech industry.

The outreach program featured talks centered on careers in tech, the need to start their careers early, as well as showcasing successful young talents in the tech industry such as Opemipo Disu, the 15-year-old developer and IBM champion from Nigeria.

Opemipo Disu aka the 15y.o developer and IBM Champion

Two students who showed great enthusiasm were awarded scholarships to enable them to kickstart their tech journey. Techrity’s Kickstart program includes a laptop, a personal mentor and data support for each child to aid their learning journey.

These students are Prince Onuzulike of Inama International Secondary School, and Chijioke Egbuomuche, a student of the Hybrid International Academy.

Prince Onuzulike is in class 1 in the Junior Secondary category of Inama International Secondary School. Prince is a young lad who almost had a deformed hand from an accident, which is quite noticeable.

From left: Miss Owanate (Founder, Techrity), Mrs. Onuzulike, Prince Onuzulike, and Mr. Adagboyi Joseph (Principal, Inama Intl Sec. Sch.)

Chijioke Egbuomuche is a student of Hybrid International Academy Senior Secondary. He has a flair for creating things which can be seen in the picture below.

Chijioke created a Fan, a Car, and a Dispenser. These things were all made from cartons, D.C motors and batteries. For the fan, he used something like a blade to act as the propeller so an amount of air touches you when it is turned on. The car moves with help of the D.C motor connected to the back tyre under the car. The Dispenser is a manual one, so it had no use for the D.C motor. Chijioke’s creativity and innovation are what earned him the scholarship to further enhance his creative flair and help him digitally.

Chijioke – Winner of Techrity Kickstart Scholarship Award and Owanate

The recipients of Techrity’s Kickstart Program will be given a laptop, a mentor as well as data support, to help guide these young minds to early career exploits in technology. The mentors assigned to these young ones are responsible for their growth and progress in technology.

Few students were also awarded cash prizes for their great performances. These students are David Bob, Emmanuel Ekeh, Prince Onuzulike, all of Inama International Secondary School and Miracle Eboseh of Hybrid International Academy. Some of the students were awarded cash prizes for their ability to answer technical questions, performance in examinations and their quest for knowledge.