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…As Team Block X wins Squad Hackathon 3.0
By Chinenye Anuforo
Team Block X of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has emerged winner of the Squad Hackathon 3.0, a technology innovation competition organised by HabariPay, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), after beating hundreds of young innovators with an artificial intelligence-powered solution aimed at transforming Nigeria’s informal labour market.
The event, which drew over 1,600 applications from students across Nigerian universities, served as a platform for discovering and nurturing young tech talents while promoting practical solutions to real-life challenges through innovation and artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the grand finale, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, challenged participants to see themselves as world-class innovators capable of competing globally.
Agbaje described the hackathon as more than a coding contest, stressing that it mirrored real-life experiences requiring resilience, strategic thinking and teamwork.
According to him, participants had already distinguished themselves by making it to the competition.
“You are the best of the best. The fact that you are here means you are already winners,” he said.
He urged the contestants to remain agile and collaborative, noting that innovation thrives where people work together and adapt to challenges.
“You will face obstacles, you will change plans, and you will solve problems. Most importantly, you must work as a team,” Agbaje added.
The GTCO boss also encouraged participants to compete with integrity, insisting that genuine success can only come through hard work and fair play.
He further dismissed the notion that only extroverts shape the world, arguing that many of the greatest innovators are introverts whose strength lies in deep thinking and creativity.
Also speaking, Managing Director of HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet, said the initiative was designed to bridge the disconnect between classroom education and industry realities while helping to build Nigeria’s future technology workforce.
Japhet disclosed that although over 1,600 applications were received, more than 600 participants were shortlisted, while over 500 students eventually attended the event.
She explained that the selection process involved evaluating applicants’ technical abilities, team composition and previous projects through GitHub portfolios.
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“We wanted the right talent and the right skills. So, we assessed not just applications but the practical work participants had done before now,” she said.
According to Japhet, this year’s competition focused heavily on artificial intelligence, smart systems, fraud prevention, unemployment and digital security, with participants tasked with developing practical technology solutions to pressing societal problems.
“Students need opportunities to apply theory to real-life problems. We want them using AI beyond basic tasks and deploying it to solve meaningful challenges,” she stated.
Japhet revealed that the hackathon extends beyond competition, serving as an entry point into HabariPay’s mentorship and talent development ecosystem.
She said selected participants would undergo long-term training programmes lasting between two and three years, including mentorship, tuition support and hands-on industry experience.
“The hackathon helps us identify talent. Beyond this stage, we mentor, train and prepare these young people for real careers and real impact,” she said.
At the end of the fiercely contested challenge, Team Block X emerged overall champions.
The winning team comprised Treasure Uvietobore, a Platform and Systems Engineer; Naheem Olaide, a Frontend and Machine Learning Developer; and Enoch Idowu, an AI and Machine Learning Engineer, all students of Obafemi Awolowo University.
Their winning innovation, “Guild,” impressed judges for its potential to tackle unemployment and financial exclusion among informal workers.
The AI-powered platform deploys a Nigerian-English voice assistant known as “Tola” to connect artisans and informal workers with employment opportunities while integrating them into the formal financial system.
Through the platform, workers can access jobs, complete assignments and receive payment seamlessly through Squad, HabariPay’s digital payment platform.
More significantly, Guild builds a verifiable financial identity for users. By maintaining transaction records over a 90-day period, workers are able to generate financial histories that can support access to banking services, loans and credit facilities.
The innovation stood out for its blend of artificial intelligence, financial inclusion and economic empowerment, key priorities highlighted by organisers.
The strong turnout and quality of ideas presented at Squad Hackathon 3.0 underscored GTCO and HabariPay’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and positioning young innovators to build scalable solutions capable of driving Africa’s future economy.
