Cardtonic, a digital platform for buying and selling gift cards, paying bills, purchasing gadgets, and obtaining virtual dollar cards, held a prize-giving ceremony for Upskill Cardtonic 2.0 on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the Art Hotel in Victoria Island.
"Upskill by Cardtonic" is a corporate social responsibility initiative by Cardtonic that aims to empower tech enthusiasts who are just starting out. This is the second edition of this initiative.
This year, after reviewing the applicants' statement of purpose, the initial pool of 9,000 applications was narrowed to 7,000. After tests and interviews 100 scaled through, eventually leading to 20 winners and 20 runners-up. The winners received an Apple MacBook as their prize and the runner-ups were given a ₦100,000 cash prize.
In an opening speech, a representative of Cardtonic, congratulated the winners, saying, “You’ve worked hard for it, congratulations. You’ve proven yourself to be the best. Your application didn’t just stand out; you were intentional.” She highlighted that "Upskill began as an initiative to show that Cardtonic is committed to the tech ecosystem."
Alexandra Ighodaro, a Data Engineer at Wema Bank, served as one of the keynote speakers and advised the winners and runners-up on "failing successfully," learning from mistakes, and exploring different tech career paths until they find the right fit.
Another keynote speaker, Bayo Adekanbi, CEO of Data Science Nigeria, encouraged the winners and runners-up to focus on creating practical ideas and assembling the best teams when building successful tech companies.
Following the speeches, consolation prizes of ₦100,000 were awarded to 10 contestants. Before the MacBooks were presented, a roundtable discussion on the challenges facing the tech industry featured panelists Alexandra Ighodaro, Chukwu Adaeze, Collins Donye, Damilola Olumoroti, and Uchechukwu Eguh.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived as the 20 winners were called to receive their brand-new Apple MacBooks. One of the winners was a 17 year old 300 level student, Omolowo Wuraola who won a MacBook for the product management category.
It was a joyful moment, as these aspiring tech talents now have the tools they need to thrive in the industry.
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