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By Sunday Ani
Wema Bank has set November 6 for the grand finale of its flagship innovation platform, Hackaholics 7.0, after recording 5,329 participants and 1,632 ideas during its nationwide search for young innovators.
The grand finale, themed ‘Festival of the Future’, will bring together technology leaders, start-up founders, investors and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem to showcase emerging technologies, explore new ideas and recognise innovations with the potential to address real-world challenges.
The event will also feature interactive experiences and discussions on how emerging technologies are transforming how people live, work, build and create.
Speaking on the initiative, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, said the concept reflected the bank’s commitment to encouraging Nigerians to take an active role in shaping the future.
“The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming industries, businesses and everyday life, creating opportunities that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago. The question is no longer simply what the future holds, but how prepared we are to shape it,” he said.
Oseni said the initiative was designed to bring innovation closer to people, stimulate meaningful conversations and encourage fresh thinking about future possibilities.
He added that it had evolved beyond a competition into a platform for identifying talent, nurturing ideas and connecting innovators with opportunities.
“Since we launched Hackaholics, our goal has remained consistent and that is to provide young Nigerians with the platform, resources, opportunities and support they need to transform their ideas into practical solutions. We believe that the future of innovation in Nigeria must be driven by the talent, creativity and potential of our people,” he said.
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He said the seventh edition would deepen the bank’s commitment by bringing together people, conversations and experiences capable of inspiring the next generation of solutions.
The platform was launched on July 1 under the theme ‘Powering Possibilities’ and commenced with a nationwide pitch centre tour aimed at discovering innovative ideas from young Nigerians.
The four-month tour covered seven locations: Uyo, Kano, Yaba College of Technology, Benin, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos.
The initiative featured three tracks, including Ideathon, Hackathon and Social Impact. While the Ideathon focused on promising ideas, the Hackathon provided a platform for technology developers and builders, the Social Impact track recognised solutions designed to deliver measurable benefits to society.
At the end of the nationwide tour, 59 participants emerged from the various pitch centres and will undergo further shortlisting to 20 finalists.
The 20 shortlisted participants are expected to present refined versions of their solutions at the pre-pitch event scheduled for November 4.
On November 5, participants will embark on an ecosystem tour organised by the bank to visit leading institutions in the technology and innovation sector, interact with industry professionals and gain practical insights ahead of the finale.
The programme will culminate in the ‘Festival of the Future’ on 6 November, when outstanding innovators will be recognised for their ideas and solutions.
Through the programme, the bank seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, support entrepreneurship and provide young people with opportunities to develop solutions that contribute to economic development.
