To position Nigeria as a global tech player, the Federal Government and Ericsson have launched the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon, targeting 50,000 young innovators.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima, announced the initiative on Wednesday at the State House Conference Hall in Abuja, represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia. He described the hackathon as a strategic platform to strengthen Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, create jobs, and transform the country from a technology consumer to a global innovator.
The four-month programme will start with open applications and large-scale mentorship for university students, startup teams, and participants from technology hubs. Fifty high-potential teams will receive intensive technical support, with ten finalists advancing to incubation and acceleration stages to prepare them as future leaders in the tech industry.
Shettima emphasized that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic priorities, focusing on youth empowerment, job creation, and exposure to emerging technologies such as AI, cloud computing, IoT, and sustainable innovations. “This is more than a competition; it is a pipeline to develop world-class innovators,” he said.
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kingsley Udeh, highlighted the importance of hackathons in transforming ideas into commercial solutions while fostering problem-solving skills.
Ericsson Nigeria Country Manager, Peter Ogundele, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s digital growth, focusing on infrastructure development and skills transfer to enable local talent to compete internationally.
Development partners, including the EU Delegation and the Swedish Embassy, praised the programme’s emphasis on youth development, innovation, and public-private collaboration.
Special Assistants to the President on Project Support and ICT Policy, Shuhdah Ahmed and Salihu Ibrahim Dasuki, explained that the hackathon bridges the gap between education and industry through structured mentorship, practical learning, and measurable outcomes across universities, startups, and innovation hubs.
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