Follow Us on Google
Wema Bank has announced the 7th edition of its flagship innovation initiative, Hackaholics. The announcement was made yesterday during a press conference at the bank’s head office in Lagos.
Launched in 2019, Hackaholics is Wema Bank’s youth and tech-focused initiative designed to serve as a platform for young Africans with creative, game changing, tech-driven ideas and products, to bring their ideas to life. Since its launch, Hackaholics has discovered thousands of groundbreaking solutions, supported over 10,000 startups, engaged 50,000 participants, developed over 100 solutions from scratch and disbursed $500 million in grant prizes to dozens of winners, whose remarkable solutions have earned a top spot in the past six editions.
With the launch of Hackaholics 7.0, Wema Bank is set to execute the biggest Hackaholics edition yet.
Themed, “Powering Possibilities,” the initiative will kick off with a call for applications, inviting all young Africans with creative tech-driven solutions across any of the seven verticals, comprising financial inclusion, healthcare, digital transformation, education, sustainability, social impact and future of work.
Each application is to be made via the portal under one of three tracks, comprising the startup pitch competition, Hackathon and the newly introduced social impact track. Following the application window, Hackaholics 7.0 will then proceed on a national tour of 10 pitch centres across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Each pitch centre will serve as a hub for innovators within the region to pitch their creative solutions and get the opportunity to secure the top spot in their pitch centre, and ultimately, proceed to the grand finale where the winners of the programme will be announced.
Speaking on the bank’s inspiration behind Hackaholics’ seven-year journey, the MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, reiterated the bank’s commitment to powering innovation, empowering youth and promoting economic growth in Africa.
Other News
According to him, “At Wema Bank, we believe that institutions have a responsibility that extends beyond providing commercial services.
We have a responsibility to create meaningful opportunities, provide the right resources, enable innovation to thrive and support the ecosystems that will shape today’s youth, as well as tomorrow’s economy.
This sense of responsibility is what has driven the evolution of Hackaholics from inception till date. With Hackaholics, we are investing in the next generation of innovators, inspiring innovation that will impact lives, strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and giving youth a platform to make meaningful use of their creativity and the numbers continue to speak volumes.”
Declaring the application window open, Tajudeen Bakare, Wema Bank’s Divisional Executive, Business Support, added: “As we launch Hackaholics 7.0 today, we are opening up a new phase of opportunities for more Nigerian youth to challenge themselves, explore their creativity and become startup founders. I encourage every young Nigerian with a passion for innovation to leverage the opportunity that we have carefully curated through Hackaholics and get ahead of the curve in today’s dynamic work landscape. Together, we can continue to build an ecosystem where innovation flourishes, opportunities expand and young people are empowered to create solutions that shape the future.”
Hackaholics 7.0 is free and open to any Nigerian youth who has
innovative ideas and solutions to pitch.
