Monday, 13 July 2015

Celebrating Impact : How young girls in Nigeria are using technology to drive waste disposal


It is wonderful to note that girls are getting more involved in changing and re-shaping the society.

A team of four brilliant high school students from Nigeria recently emerged the winners of the Technovation Challenge World Pitch competition which took place in San Francisco USA.

The girls are Praise David - Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nnmessoma Ogbonna and Grace Akpoiroro.
They worked as a team to develop a mobile app named 'Discardious' to help solve the solid waste disposal problem in Nigeria.

380 apps from 64 countries of the world were submitted.


Praise David-Oku, on behalf of the team in a statement to the press said that the competition totally changed their views of technology. “It has given our team a platform to use technology to solve problems in our community."


The problem of waste disposal in Nigeria is enormous, with many failed government and community initiatives.


An estimated 75% of the Nigerian population is said to suffer from health challenges such as malaria, diarrhea, dysentery and yellow fever due to the improper disposal of wastes.

'Discardious' is an android based app, which uses low cost technology to proffer a lasting solution to the problem of waste disposal.  

Once Subscribed, clients are able to order waste disposal services at an affordable fee which will be paid on arrival.

Solid waste disposal and management has been identified as the most pressing environmental problem in present day Nigeria. 
With a teeming population of over 170 million, Nigeria happens to be one of the largest producers of solid waste in Africa. 
Several policies and regulations have not been able to tackle the problem and solid waste is assuming alarming and disturbing proportions as the days go by.

3.2 million tons of solid waste is generated annually in Nigeria, of which only about 20-30% is collected properly.

The blockage of sewers and drainage systems, and the pollution and choking of water bodies are all resultant effects of a poor and almost non functioning solid waste disposal system.

Household and industrial wastes, as well as waste generated due to commercial activities may litter the immediate surroundings. 

Improper collection and disposal of municipal wastes is the trigger for an unavoidable environmental catastrophe which may occur if things continue in this manner.
Nigeria currently lacks adequate budgetary allocations for the implementation of an integrated waste management program across the 36 States.

A predicted population explosion in African cities over the next 40 years may result in a population that is more than three times of what we have today. This prediction is a pointer to the enormous task ahead of us in tackling the issue of waste disposal before it becomes a scourge.

Lack of political will, inadequate budgetary allocations as well as lack of properly trained personnel in solid waste disposal and management have brought us to this point.

Tackling the issue of solid waste disposal will result in a cleaner and healthier environment.

Diseases such as malaria which have become endemic in African communities can be eradicated if the environment can be kept clean.

What I see the business venture of these girls turning into is a logistic system for solid waste disposal which should be supported by governments and NGOs and should be rolled out in all the 36 states of the country.

Praise David-Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nmesoma Ogbonna, and Grace Akpoiroro as they developed a - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/four-brilliant-nigerian-girls-win-2015-global-technovation-challenge/#sthash.LpR9gRu6.dpuf
Technovation Challenge world pitch which held at San Francisco, USA. The winning team comprised of four brilliant girls: Praise David-Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nmesoma Ogbonna, and Grace Akpoiroro as they developed a mobile app to tackle waste disposal challenge in Nigeria. They pitched their app called, ‘Discardious’. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/four-brilliant-nigerian-girls-win-2015-global-technovation-challenge/#sthash.LpR9gRu6.dpuf
Technovation Challenge world pitch which held at San Francisco, USA. The winning team comprised of four brilliant girls: Praise David-Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nmesoma Ogbonna, and Grace Akpoiroro as they developed a mobile app to tackle waste disposal challenge in Nigeria. They pitched their app called, ‘Discardious’. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/four-brilliant-nigerian-girls-win-2015-global-technovation-challenge/#sthash.LpR9gRu6.dpuf
Technovation Challenge world pitch which held at San Francisco, USA. The winning team comprised of four brilliant girls: Praise David-Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nmesoma Ogbonna, and Grace Akpoiroro as they developed a mobile app to tackle waste disposal challenge in Nigeria. They pitched their app called, ‘Discardious’. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/four-brilliant-nigerian-girls-win-2015-global-technovation-challenge/#sthash.LpR9gRu6.dpuf
Technovation Challenge world pitch which held at San Francisco, USA. The winning team comprised of four brilliant girls: Praise David-Oku, Sonam Kumar, Nmesoma Ogbonna, and Grace Akpoiroro as they developed a mobile app to tackle waste disposal challenge in Nigeria. They pitched their app called, ‘Discardious’. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/four-brilliant-nigerian-girls-win-2015-global-technovation-challenge/#sthash.LpR9gRu6.dpuf

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