AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, INNOVATION AND DIGITAL ECONOMY, DR. 'BOSUN TIJANI (@bosuntijani) Dear Sir, Given your inspiring keynote speech at this year's Deep Learning Indaba, where you charged African startups with the task of building sovereign AI, it is my pleasure to share that StripppleCare, my indigenous healthtech startup, secured 1st place at DeepLearning Indaba's (@DeepIndaba) maiden pitch competition in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (@ITU). This earned us an invitation to Geneva: admission into the Innovation Factory Accelerator, a startup exhibition booth, and the opportunity to pitch at the annual AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2027. We are building sovereign digital verification rails for healthcare financing on the continent, incorporating NIPOST’s Digital Postcode framework for immutable proof-of-presence, unlocking critical liquidity for healthcare providers. We are taking homegrown Nigerian ingenuity straight to the United Nations 🇳🇬🇺🇳. However, as an early-stage startup, financing travel and accommodation to Geneva for 4-5 days has proven to be an uphill task for our young team. Given Nigeria's prominent seat at the ITU and our national commitment to showcasing indigenous innovation on global stages, I humbly approach you and the Ministry to request travel and accommodation support to enable me to represent our work in Switzerland. Thank you for your tireless support in spotlighting homegrown builders, Sir. 🙏 Official UN Finalist Profile: aiforgood.itu.int/speaker/st… Respectfully, Kolade Afolabi Founder & CEO, StripppleCare Cc: @FMCIDENigeria @NITDANigeria