The Ministry of Youth and ICT, in partnership with United Nations Development Programme, and Motorola Solutions, have launched a Mobile application competition where youth who are active in the ICT field will be tasked to develop applications for human development.

The competition, launched by the Youth and ICT minister Jean Philbert Nsengimana last week, aims at creating jobs, empowering youth and stimulating the diffusion of mobile initiatives on a large scale.

The competition was launched during a bi-monthly, YouthConnekt hangout, an online platform that brings together youth, government, development partners, private sector and civil society activists to deliberate on opportunities for the youth in personal and socio-economic development.

The minister said the competition will not only test the participants’ abilities in mobile programming, but will also enhance their understanding of development and how the two can be merged to develop solutions for real life challenges.

"We want to make good use of the skills you have to develop the country,” Nsengimana said.

He added that mobile applications can promote socio-conomic development as well as create jobs for the youth.

Serge Kapto, the ICT for Development Advisor at UNDP who took part in the hangout session, noted that UNDP is keen on using ICT as an enabler of human development.

"UNDP has worked on this since early 1990’s. We hope to use ICT to fight poverty,” he said.

 The challenge is open to young people aged between 18 and 35 years and all applications are made online. Magnifique Migisha, the communications officer  at the Ministry of Youth and ICT, said the submission of proposals  for the competition is on until February 25 and presentation of pitches will take place on March 4.

 The selection of the winning proposals will be done by a panel of experts from the ICT sector. The winners will be announced on March 18.

Participants will stand a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $ 1,000 & 6,000. In addition to the cash prize, the over all winner will receive training and mentoring from successful entrepreneurs throughout the initial phase of their start-up.