News

Facebook chooses 60 finalists for Messenger Developer Challenge.

Facebook has selected 60 finalists from the hundreds of entries it received from across the Middle East and Africa for the Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge.

The Bots for Messenger Challenge is a contest to recognise and reward developers who create the most innovative new bots on Messenger.

Developers, in teams of up to three people, were invited to create bots in three categories: gaming and entertainment; productivity and utility; and social good.

The 60 finalist teams (10 per category in Middle East/North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) each won a Gear VR and mobile phone, one hour of Facebook mentorship, and tools and services from FbStart, a Facebook program designed to help early stage mobile start-ups build and grow their bots. All student teams who made it to the finals won an additional $2,000.

Facebook grew out of a hacker culture and thrives by promoting innovation on new platforms.

Facebook will contact the finalists and connect them with a mentor. They will need to resubmit their bots before midnight (GMT) on June 2 to qualify to win. For each region, three runner-up teams (one from each category) will win $10,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship. For each region, three winning teams (one from each category) will win $20,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship.

Says Emeka Afigbo, Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa: “Facebook grew out of a hacker culture and thrives by promoting innovation on new platforms. That’s why we launched the Bots for Messenger Challenge, with the aim of rewarding entrepreneurs and developers for harnessing the power of bots to create amazing new services and apps.

“We were overwhelmed to receive more than 1,000 entries over two and a half months for the Bots for Messenger Challenge from developers and entrepreneurs across the Middle East and Africa—each one of them solving a problem in an inventive way or enriching the lives of its target user.”

admin

Recent Posts

Oyo Rep, Oseni Pays APC Secretariat Staff Salaries, Donates N10m to Boost Party Operations

House of Representatives member and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency…

1 day ago

Rep Oseni Rallies Support for Ikogosi Development Projects, Calls for Resilience, Unity

The Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and representative…

4 days ago

Bad Roads: ‘Focus on Message, Not Messenger’ – Nigerians Tell Works Minister, Umahi

The Nigerian Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ignited widespread public reaction following his response…

1 week ago

Oseni Salutes Senator Folarin’s Decades of Service at 61

  Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House…

1 week ago

Oseni Donates N10m to Support Ibadan’s Mogaji Ile Eke Project

The Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni has made…

2 weeks ago

Lead City Varsity Hosts Conference on Leadership, Personality Development

Dr. Ayobami Owolabi, President of the Institute of Personality Development & Customer Relationship Management (IPDCRM),…

2 weeks ago