MTN Nigeria, in partnership with Co-creation Hub, launched an App Developer Challenge. The competition is designed to empower Nigerian developers and tech entrepreneurs to build locally appealing and relevant apps for the millions of customers who rely on MTN for their daily lives.

The competition will run across the following platforms:

• Android
• Blackberry
• Java ME
• Windows Phone (up to 7)

Phase I runs from July 24 – October 24 2013, where app developers are expected to build and submit their apps to the MTN NextApps store.

Phase II runs from October 24 – November 24 2013 where apps will compete for downloads to qualify for the initial draw. Developers are expected to promote their apps alongside MTN.

Challenge Categories

• Education
• Health & Wellness
• Entertainment & Lifestyle
• Gaming
• Productivity
• Students

Selecting Winners
Top 4 apps by downloads and a ‘wild card’ app (chosen by Judges) will be short listed per category. A panel of judges will then decide the top app in each category based on set criteria.

To ensure that apps developed meet the needs of the millions of customers on the MTN network in Nigeria and beyond, there will be ideation sessions with experienced practitioners in Health & Wellness, Education, Entertainment & Lifestyle and Gaming to help developers/tech entrepreneurs deepen their knowledge, understanding of the market and identify potential areas where consumers are looking to apps to improve their lives. Developers will also get the chance to get feedback on their app ideas from the experienced industry practitioners.

Grand prize:

• Hyundai iX35,
• N1 million,
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• 6 months free app promotion on the MTN Nextapps store

Other prizes:

The top app in each of the 6 categories will get:

• N1 million
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• 6 months free app promotion on the MTN Nextapps store.

For more see www.mtnonline.com/challenge