The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has awarded a total of N6 million in cash prizes to young innovators whose technology solutions emerged first, second and third at the fourth edition of the NCC Hackathon Live Show 2026.
The competition, themed “Technology Without Barriers,” saw SORA emerge overall winner and receive the N3 million grand prize, while Clear Signal and IKOR secured second and third positions with N2 million and N1 million respectively.
According to an official statement signed by Nnenna Ukoha, Director, Public Affairs Department, NCC, the Hackathon brought together 20 teams comprising innovators, software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities to develop practical solutions aimed at expanding digital inclusion.
The Commission said the initiative was designed to promote indigenous innovation while addressing barriers limiting access to digital technologies and services, particularly among persons with disabilities and other underserved communities.
SORA, which won the competition, developed an inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria. The platform is designed to connect users with employment opportunities and skills development resources.
Clear Signal, the second-place winner, developed a solution that enables blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard-of-hearing electricity consumers to receive accessible power outage alerts through voice calls, text messages and visual notifications.
IKOR, which placed third, developed an artificial intelligence-powered voice dictation and writing tool aimed at overcoming barriers associated with expensive hardware, poor internet connectivity and physical typing.
Beyond the cash prizes, all participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates of participation in recognition of their contributions to advancing accessible technology and digital inclusion.
Speaking on the initiative, 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, could participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Representing Maida, Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, described young Nigerian innovators as a critical resource for the nation’s future economic growth.
Makama said the ideas, ingenuity and determination demonstrated by the young innovators represented an important national asset, urging stakeholders to support the development and commercialisation of promising solutions emerging from the programme.
She noted that the cost of devices, inadequate digital skills, limited access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features on some digital platforms remained significant barriers to digital participation.
According to her, technology should remove barriers rather than create new ones, stressing that accessible technologies could unlock untapped markets, expand consumer participation and bring more Nigerians into the formal economy.
“When we design assistive and accessible technologies, we are unlocking massive untapped markets, expanding consumer participation, and bringing millions of hardworking Nigerians into the formal economy as creators, entrepreneurs, and confident digital citizens,” she said.
The NCC also called on investors, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to support the commercialisation of promising innovations emerging from the Hackathon.
Helen Obi, Director, Digital Economy Department, said the initiative was conceived to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion and universal access.
She disclosed that participating teams developed solutions addressing challenges in healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, AI-powered sign language translation, voice-enabled services and assistive technologies for visually impaired users.
Obi also highlighted the Commission’s indigenous NCC Hackathon Judge Software, developed to automate and standardise the judging process.
At the opening ceremony, Makama, represented by Usman Malah, Director, Zonal Operations, said the Hackathon reflected the NCC’s commitment to building an inclusive digital society where technology creates opportunities for everyone.
She urged participants to focus on solutions that are affordable, scalable, user-friendly and capable of producing measurable social impact.
In separate goodwill messages, Chinyelu Chikwendu, Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation at MTN Nigeria, Eneh Omawumi, Head of the Gender Desk Unit at the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and Amadi Kenneth of the Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, commended the NCC for promoting innovation and inclusion.
Kenneth said some of the solutions showcased had strong potential to deepen financial inclusion among women, youths, persons with disabilities and underserved communities, expressing the CBN’s willingness to collaborate with the NCC and participating innovators.
Maida commended the technical partners, mentors, judges and other stakeholders for their contributions, reiterating the Commission’s commitment to strengthening indigenous content development, supporting local technology ecosystems and ensuring that the benefits of the digital economy are accessible to all Nigerians.
