Nigerian girls, Team Save-A-Soul, win world's largest tech competition

The Nigerian girls defeated teams from USA, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to win the 2018 Technovation world pitch junior division in San Francisco.
Nigerian teenage girls have won the top position at the 2018 Technovation World Pitch Summit, the world's largest tech entrepreneurship program in the United States.
Iridescent, a nonprofit empowering under-represented young people globally announced that the Nigerian girls won the Junior Division Finalists (App focus) category during the "Global Innovation Celebration" held in the San Jose Theatre, August 9, 2018.
Save-A Soul app – FD-Detector, Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria


The girls, from Regina Pacis Model Secondary School, Onitsha, codenamed Team Save-A-Soul comprising of Promise Nnalue,Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye, developed a mobile application called ‘FD-Detector’ to tackle the problem of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria with Mrs Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu, as their mentor.

The app leverages a drug's barcode to verify its authenticity and expiration date. Save A Soul will also partner with NAFDAC (National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control), an agency responsible for regulating drugs in Nigeria.

The Nigerian girls defeated teams from the United States of America (USA), Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to win the 2018 Technovation world pitch junior division in San Francisco, USA.

"Leveraging technology to save lives is our utmost priority, that is why we have decided to maximize this opportunity to solve the incessant rate of death caused by fake drugs," said Team Save-A-Soul.

The 2018 World Pitch Summit is the final event following more than seven months of hard work, innovation, and problem solving by more than 19,000 girls in 115 countries supported by over 5,000 mentors.

More than $50,000 USD was awarded across the teams.

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on a Twitter post said, “These young ladies in Junior Secondary School developed a mobile application called FD Detector to tackle the problems of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria. Congratulations! We are very proud of you.”

Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra, also said the girls deserve some accolades.

Yea! Go girls!