Terms of Use

Eligibility and Team Requirements

• The program is open to all Nigerian university students (undergraduate or postgraduate) currently enrolled in a recognized institution.
• Participants must form teams with a maximum of 5 members, including a designated group lead.
• Teams must be pre-formed before registration; individual registration is not available.
• All team members must provide valid proof of student identity and meet eligibility requirements.
• Organizers reserve the right to verify eligibility and may disqualify participants who do not meet requirements.

Project Submissions and Intellectual Property

• Ownership: You and your team retain all rights, title, and interest in your project code, documentation, and creative work.
• License to Datasphir: By submitting your project, you grant Datasphir a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, reproduce, and distribute your project for program promotion, reporting, educational purposes, and portfolio showcases.
• Attribution: You must properly cite and attribute any third-party code, libraries, datasets, models, or resources used in your project.
• Originality: Projects must be original work created during the program period. Plagiarism or unauthorized use of others' work is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.
• Public Display: Submitted projects, including repositories, demo videos, and documentation, may be made publicly accessible as part of program showcases.

Judging Criteria and Prizes

• Projects are evaluated using a comprehensive rubric covering problem-solution fit, functionality and compliance, technical implementation and security, user experience and accessibility, and presentation quality.
• Judging decisions are made by a panel of industry professionals, mentors, and program organizers. All decisions are final.
• Prizes are awarded at the discretion of organizers and may be modified, substituted, or cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.
• Prize winners are responsible for any applicable taxes and must comply with verification and compliance checks before prize distribution.
• Prizes are paid in Nigerian Naira (NGN) and distributed according to program timelines.

Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate disqualification and removal from the program:

• Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or any form of abusive behavior toward participants, mentors, organizers, or staff.
• Plagiarism, unauthorized copying of code, or misrepresentation of work as original.
• Unauthorized access to systems, data, or resources not intended for your use.
• Use of automation, bots, or scripts to generate fake engagement, spam, or fraudulent submissions.
• Violation of third-party terms of service, intellectual property rights, or applicable laws.
• Sharing of confidential program information, mentor feedback, or evaluation criteria outside authorized channels.
• Any activity that compromises the integrity, security, or fairness of the program.

Program Participation and Responsibilities

• Participants are expected to attend orientation sessions, mentor check-ins, and Demo Day presentations.
• Teams must maintain active communication through designated channels and respond to program communications in a timely manner.
• Participants are responsible for their own equipment, internet connectivity, and lawful use of development tools and platforms.
• All submissions must meet program requirements, including technical specifications, documentation standards, and submission deadlines.
• Failure to meet participation requirements may result in disqualification or removal from the program.

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

• The program is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
• Datasphir does not guarantee specific outcomes, employment opportunities, or career advancement as a result of participation.
• Participants are solely responsible for their projects, submissions, and any consequences arising from their work.
• Datasphir shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from participation in the program.
• Organizers reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the program at any time due to circumstances beyond our control.

Termination

Organizers reserve the right to terminate a participant's or team's participation in the program at any time for violation of these terms, the Code of Conduct, or for any other reason deemed necessary to maintain program integrity.