The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has been awarded Smarter Cities Challenge grant for 2014 by the International Business Machines (IBM), a multinational technology and consulting corporation, based in the United States of America.
The FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed who received the good news via a letter signed by Jen Jen Crozier, Vice President, International Business Machines (IBM) Global Citizenship Initiatives remarked that with this prize, Abuja will enjoy 500,000 US Dollars grant during this fiscal year.
The letter reads: “On behalf of IBM, it is my pleasure to notify you that Abuja, Federal Capital Territory has been awarded a Smarter Cities Challenge grant for 2014”.
Mohammed said that IBM revealed that it received over 100 applications from all over the World for this year’s program, and the review team was very impressed with the depth and complexity of the challenges that FCT Administration outlined in its proposal.
The IBM lauded the FCTA team’s track record and achievements as well as the team’s commitment to this program, and vision for a smarter city.
The ‘Big Blue’ as the firm is sometimes referred to, appreciates all the works the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and his team have invested in responding to this opportunity with IBM.
This is second international award as It would be recalled that the FCT Administration in June 2013 bagged the United Nations Award of Excellence on Public Service Delivery in Manama, Bahrain with its popular rural health initiative tagged “Mailafiya Programme” which is now adopted globally.
