The stage is set for an awesome Trade Trasparency Hack at the CcHub next week following from an interesting one at RLabs in Cape Town earlier in the month

The hack, a collaboration between CcHub, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and The Economist Intelligence Unit aims to provide Nigerian consumers with information on how trade-related costs and how trade barriers affect them.

There is a lot of data already available on trade issues, although maybe not that well known, and certainly not presented in ways that the general consumers can  understand. There are also gaps in the data, things that are not hidden, but not available generally or aggregated beyond local knowledge.

At the hack we would create innovative digital tools to inform and educate consumers – through interesting and eye-catching graphics, visualisations, apps, websites etc which would illustrate trade patterns and barriers, and examine the relationship between trade costs and the prices consumers pay.

Actual development will be done by mixed teams comprising software developers, designers, statisticians, data analysts, trade experts and interested consumers. The teams will have one day to look through the data available and to decide which tools they want to build. They will then have 2 days to build fully working solutions. This will be a high pressure environment which is also an awesome teaming experience.

On the Friday evening, we’ll have some relaxation on the CcHub Rooftop with some live entertainment before the last leg of the Hack.

Already some of Nigeria’s top developers and designers including Noah69, McGrenor and DigitalCraft Studios have signed up to participate and we are looking forward to very high quality solutions. We’ve also signed up key players in driving the open data movement in Nigeria including BudgIT, Resoucedat and iWatch who would be fielding teams at the hack.

On Saturday evening, we will have an Open Pitch Session where the teams will present their completed solution to an eminent panel of judges who will select the best. The Pitch Session will be live streamed so follow us on twitter or Facebook (details below) for more information on how to watch it wherever you are. The top teams will share a total prize of N1.5 million upon final completion of their solutions.

Applications have now closed to join the hack. We would communicate to shortlisted participants shortly.

Finally, well for now, this revolution will broadcasted on social media so follow @Cc_Hub and the hashtags #CcHub and #TradeHack on Twitter and Like our Facebook Page for updates as the hack goes on