Over 1,600 university students from various regions in Nigeria submitted applications for the 2026 edition of the GTCO HabariPay Squad Hackathon, where young developers presented artificial intelligence-based solutions aimed at addressing unemployment, financial fraud, agricultural inefficiencies, and enhancing workplace productivity.
The event, held on Saturday by HabariPay, the fintech arm of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, showcases the increasing enthusiasm among Nigerian youth for leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle real economic and social issues, rather than merely focusing on consumer-oriented digital tasks.
As stated by Eduofon Japhet, the Managing Director of HabariPay, over 1,600 applications were received from undergraduates across Nigerian universities, with more than 600 candidates shortlisted based on their technical skills, previous projects, and ability to collaborate effectively.
“We received over 1,600 submissions and chose more than 600 participants based on the caliber of their teams, their technical expertise, and the projects they had previously developed, including their GitHub portfolios,” Japhet remarked.
Ultimately, slightly more than 500 students participated in the in-person event in Lagos, following what the organizers described as a thorough screening process.
Japhet noted that this year’s edition intentionally concentrated on applying artificial intelligence to real-world issues impacting Nigeria’s economy, such as insecurity, unemployment, and fraud.
”Instead of merely using AI for tasks like writing emails and performing routine activities, we presented participants with genuine economic problems and challenged them to utilize artificial intelligence to find solutions,” she explained.
In addition to the hackathon, Japhet revealed that exceptional participants would be offered a long-term mentorship and development program lasting between two to three years.
Through this initiative, selected students will benefit from tuition assistance, technical training, hands-on work experience, and potential job opportunities within HabariPay and the broader industry.
