In an effort to empower the people of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), the federal government of Nigeria has encouraged young people in the country to apply for the cybersecurity hackathon.
As to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and the agency are partners in the Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, which is coordinated by ECOWAS and hosted by Nigeria.
NITDA stated that while encouraging Nigerians to sign up for the competition, the programme provides a great chance for novices and experienced experts to delve into the field of cybersecurity, pick up new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals.
In contrast to other hackathons in the tech industry, ECOWAS did not specify the prizes for competitors competing at the regional level.
According to ECOWAS via the Hackathon website: “All talented individuals and teams are invited to join this exhilarating competition. Demonstrate your expertise, collaborate with peers, and push the boundaries of cybersecurity.
It added: “Be part of the talent pool driving the security of cyberspace for your country and West Africa as a whole.”
Continuing, it stated that the Cybersecurity Hackathon will provide a forum for youthful tech enthusiasts, hence augmenting the cyber labour force in the area.
It posits: “Member states are encouraged to participate and showcase their brightest minds in this competition.”
The competition’s registration period began on July 18 and is scheduled to end on August 5, 2024.
The hackathon’s organisers stipulate that participants must be nationals of ECOWAS member nations and that only those who live in the area will get travel tickets.
It further said that each team should include at least one female player and that the minimum and maximum number of members for each team should be three and four, respectively, as seen on the digital news platform.
However, volunteers have to be between the ages of seventeen and thirty-five, according to ECOWAS.
