A Nigerian firm, Agriconnekt Services, claims it was unfairly substituted with a non-participant, Coamana Market Ltd., after winning a €1.3 million grant from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in a global hackathon. Agriconnekt alleges that despite meeting all eligibility requirements and successfully completing the pilot phase, it was cut off from the program without justification.
*Key Events:*
- *2020 Hackathon*: Agriconnekt wins €1.3 million grant for its farm-to-fork solution promoting social distancing in agriculture and food distribution.
- *Substitution Claim*: Agriconnekt alleges it was replaced by Coamana Market Ltd., which didn't participate in the hackathon.
- *Legal Action*: Agriconnekt seeks redress in court, demanding payment of $352,000 for phase one and $406,000 for phase two.
*Agriconnekt's Demands:*
- Payment of $352,000 for phase one
- Payment of $406,000 for phase two
- General damages of $300,000 for breach of contract
- Litigation costs of $150,000
The case is ongoing, with the court set to reconvene for the defendants to open their case [3].
Source: Foundation For Investigative Journalism
