The path to this spectacular climax finally came to an end on Friday of last week, when ten finalists representing universities from all around Nigeria competed for the top award prize at the Hackaholics 4.0 event. This event was the culmination of the Hackaholics 4.0 competition.
Over N50 million in cash awards were going to be awarded, with each of the five categories receiving their own portion. The winner of Hackaholics received N15 million as their prize, N10 million went to the first runner-up, and N7 million was given to the second runner-up in the competition.
In order to encourage more women to work in the technology industry, N5 million was put aside as a prize pool for any team that was managed by a woman who participated in the Hackaholics. In addition, a sizeable sum of N22 million was contributed to university STEM endowments, which demonstrates a commitment to the development of the next generation of innovators in the technology sector.
These 10 finalists were chosen from an astounding pool of 3,000 candidates to present their innovative concepts in the following ten distinct areas of human existence: education, climate, government technology, health, gender-based violence, financial inclusion, entertainment, fintech, insurance, and civic technology.
The innovative ideas that were presented by the competitors left Google’s Startup Fund Manager Femi Awoniyi speechless, and he couldn’t help but express his enthusiasm for them. He admitted that the Hackaholics summit, in addition to delivering essential funding to the winners, serves as a catalyst for pushing others to step forward with their ground-breaking discoveries. He said this was one of the reasons the summit was so successful.
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The winners of the Wema Bank Hackaholics
The Wema Bank Hackaholics 4.0 competition was won by Jane Agbaohwo, who is also the founder of Ireti, an innovative health-tech startup. Agbaohwo is currently studying medicine and founded the company. Her innovative approach, which aims to diagnose breast cancer in its early stages, helped her win the N15 million cash prize, which was competed for by nine other new businesses.
“Going forward we will be able to reach out to women in urban communities and also women in rural communities because we are partnering with NGOs. We are reaching out to them; helping them to create awareness about breast cancer – it kills, but you stand a chance to live if you detect early and start treatment on time,” Agbaohwo said.
Nelson Atuonwu, who was competing on behalf of the fledgling company Team Grip, came in second place overall and was awarded a monetary prize of N10 million for his efforts. Oluwatimilehin Ogunme, who competed for Team Trakka, finished in second place overall and took home a prize worth a respectable N7 million as a result of his efforts.
At the occasion, individual achievements weren’t the only thing that was highlighted; instead, the gathering also honored group efforts. Tochukwu Ifeanyi, the Chief Executive Officer of Team Outsidee, was honored for leading her team to success in the women-led initiative by being presented with a monetary reward in the amount of N5 million.
In recognition of exemplary accomplishments, additional awards were presented in a variety of categories. The Edutech Award went to University X’s Damilare Ololade, and the Climate Tech award went to Bonojo Adedayo of Pup Industries. Both of these men are from Nigeria.
David Campbell of Team Naija Box was able to get the energy prize, while Ifeanyichukwu Henry of Raptor was able to win the award for Energy Technology. Olukayode Fadairo, who was a member of Team MumAlive, and Gift Akobundu, who was a member of Team Chao, both received awards.
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Remarks
According to Moruf Oseni, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank, a distinctive combination of traditional banking knowledge and technology that is deeply integrated into the bank’s system has given them the potential to promote the expansion of the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.
“We also recognize that any economy that is serious about sustainable economic and social development must pay serious attention to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.”
“Entertainment and sports have put Nigeria on the global landscape in a positive light; but they cannot help to predict technology and infrastructure deficits that will see Nigeria achieve its true potential,” Oseni said.
Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO of Flutterwave, stated in a keynote that events such as Hackaholics 4.0 may provide great possibilities to founders who are utilizing technology to solve both local and global concerns. He lauded the efforts of Wema Bank to establish infrastructures that would foster innovation within the fintech industry.
According to Tunde Mabawonku, the executive director of retail and digital business for Wema Bank, the digital summit unites digital innovators, visionaries, and industry executives from all over Nigeria. He noted that the event transcends boundaries.
“It’s all about harnessing the collective potential of startup founders to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in the digital age.”
According to him, the topic that was discussed at this year’s Hackaholics event captures the spirit of the innovation initiative that the bank is running.
“It embodies our sheer belief in a world where change is only constant. Our ability to reimagine and disrupt the status quo is what sets us apart,” Mabawonku added.