 |
| Photo shows L-R: Director, Research and Development, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Babagana Digima; Team Engineer, Sora Isah Ladan; Director Digital Economy, NCC, Ms Helen Obi; Chief Executive Officer, Sora, Abdulhaqq Somoye; and Head, Indigenous Content, NCC, Dr. Beluchi Nwanisobi; during the presentation of cheques to the winner of the 4th Edition of Hackathon Live Show on Thursday, August 27, at the NCC Annex Office Mbora Abuja |
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded its Hackathon Live Show 2026, rewarding innovators who developed technology solutions that promote digital inclusion.
At the two-day event, teams from across Nigeria pitched projects focused on improving access for persons with disabilities and other underserved communities.
SORA was crowned overall champion of the fourth edition, taking home the N3 million grand prize for its inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform that connects verified persons with disabilities to employment opportunities and skills resources.
Clear Signal finished second and received N2 million for a system that delivers accessible power-outage alerts - via voice calls, text messages, and visual notifications - to blind, visually impaired, deaf, and hard-of-hearing electricity consumers. IKOR secured third place and N1 million for its AI-powered voice dictation and writing tool that addresses challenges posed by costly hardware, limited internet connectivity, and barriers to physical typing.
The top three teams received cash awards, while all participating teams were given consolation prizes and certificates of participation in recognition of their contributions to accessible technology development.
Contestants also valued the chance to showcase their solutions on a national stage and to receive feedback from industry stakeholders, reinforcing the competition’s role in advancing digital participation and inclusive economic growth.
The Hackathon event, with the theme “Technology Without Barriers”, featured 20 teams comprising innovators, software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and persons with disabilities to develop practical technology-driven solutions aimed at expanding accessibility and digital inclusion.
In his remarks at the close of the competition, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the commission remained committed to leveraging innovation to address digital exclusion and ensure that all Nigerians, particularly persons with disabilities and underserved communities, can participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
The NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Rimini Makama, who represented the EVC, described young Nigerian innovators as a critical resource for the nation’s future growth, stating that, “Nigeria’s next major oil field is not buried under our soil or offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. It is here, in the ideas, ingenuity, brilliance and determination of the young Nigerians gathered in this room today.
Maida noted that barriers such as the cost of devices, inadequate digital skills, limited access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features on some digital platforms continue to hinder digital participation.
Emphasizing the importance of inclusive innovation, he stressed that “technology should not create new barriers; at its best, technology should remove them.”
The EVC added that Hackathon served as a strategic platform for developing practical solutions that address accessibility challenges and support the Commission’s vision of a digitally inclusive society.
Highlighting the economic potential of accessible technology, the EVC noted that designing assistive and accessible solutions opens vast untapped markets, broadens consumer participation, and brings millions of hardworking Nigerians into the formal economy as creators, entrepreneurs, and confident digital citizens.
He called on investors, telecom operators, and other stakeholders to back the commercialization of promising innovations emerging from the programme.
Maida thanked the Commission’s technical partners, mentors, judges, and stakeholders for their support, and reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to boosting local content creation, nurturing domestic tech ecosystems, and ensuring the digital economy’s benefits reach all Nigerians.
At the opening ceremony, Rimini Makama, represented by Usman Malah, Director of Zonal Operations, said the Hackathon demonstrated the Commission’s dedication to building an inclusive digital society where technology creates opportunity for everyone.
She emphasized that technological progress should be judged not only by technical sophistication but by its ability to improve lives, expand opportunity, and enable meaningful participation in the digital economy.
Makama urged participants to design solutions that are affordable, scalable, user-friendly, and impactful, reminding them that the most significant innovations remove barriers, create opportunities, and help people achieve their full potential.
Helen Obi, Director of the Commission’s Digital Economy Department, explained that the Hackathon was created to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion and universal access.
She reported that teams produced solutions tackling accessibility challenges across healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, AI-powered sign language translation, voice-enabled services, and assistive tools for visually impaired users.
She also highlighted the Commission’s own NCC Hackathon Judge software, developed to automate and standardize the judging process.
In her goodwill message, Chinyelu Chikwendu, Senior Manager of Strategy and Innovation at MTN Nigeria, praised the NCC as “a regulator with a difference” - one that not only oversees the industry but actively fosters growth in the digital ecosystem.
She commended the Hackathon’s emphasis on people with disabilities and reiterated MTN’s commitment to supporting innovations, startups, and solutions that enhance lives.
Eneh Omawumi, Head of the Gender Desk Unit at the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, also delivered a goodwill message, applauding the NCC for advancing innovation, empowerment, and inclusion through the Hackathon.
She commended the competition’s fairness and urged participants to keep developing their ideas.
Amadi Kenneth of the Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria described the Hackathon as a valuable initiative, saying many presented solutions could significantly advance financial inclusion for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and underserved communities.
He added that the apex bank is willing to collaborate with the NCC and programme innovators to leverage these solutions in promoting digital and financial inclusion nationwide.
0 comments:
Post a Comment