SDN received recognition for its work on the Oil Spill Monitor and Gas Flare Tracker digital mapping platforms in November after coming second in the HiiL Innovating Justice awards at the Hague.
SDN was one of the nine finalists invited to take part in a rigorous two-and-a-half day “Boostcamp” for its successfully innovated Oil Spill Monitor (oilspillmonitor.ng), which gives public access to oil spill data as compiled by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
The event included nine detailed pitches from each of the finalists, which were followed by workshops that gave innovators a chance to share and comment on each other’s designs, outreach and impact.
Accompanied by a number of external stakeholders and experts from international development, business and investment backgrounds, finalists were given the opportunity to engage with a variety of different perspectives. SDN was able to present and receive feedback on Oil Spill Monitor from leading experts, whilst increasing international awareness about oil spills in the Niger Delta and what steps the international community must take to tackle this issue.
SDN’s Oil Spill Monitor will receive coaching and opportunities for strategic partnership building as a result of its involvement in the process. As Oil Spill Monitor continues to grow in international recognition, the central aims of the device, namely to make public and thus reduce the scale of spills in the Niger Delta, are ever closer to becoming a reality.
