Audit, Tax and Consulting firm, Forvis Mazars has rolled out plans for its Maiden hackathon edition.
  
Speaking to reporters, Director, Technology and Digital Consulting, Forvis Mazars and Project lead, Innovate with Fovis Mazars hackathon, Fiyinfolu Okedare, said the hackathon is to gather innovative ideas from youths between the ages of 18 to 35.
  
He noted that the hackathon would focus on innovative ideas around AI in audit, data analytics, privacy, data sciences and compliance.
  
The hackathon, which involves six weeks of training with the grand finale on November 15, would encourage innovators to birth ideas that can service audit clients and the firm’s customer base.
  
He noted that the teams are made up of three persons, which must compulsorily have a female and a student, adding that winners would win $2000.
  
“We are catching them young and the opportunity is seamless for participants as we are using this opportunity to identify specific talents that can come on board to our innovation hub where they can develop their ideas and bring them to life. That’s why we have the mentors to guide them across this six-week journey of the hackathon,” he said.

Okedare said the grand finale would bring together judges who would review the top five ideas and the best three winners would emerge. He added that the six-week period is to nurture and build on their existing ideas and ensure they are ethical and meet other criteria.

Co-founder, CyBlack, Simbiat Sadiq, expressed excitement that the inclusion of women was made a major criterion as women tend to remain in the background and allow men to dominate such fields.