Wema Bank has awarded ₦300 million in prizes to 11 technology innovators and startups at the seventh edition of its Hackaholics innovation programme, supporting businesses developing solutions in agriculture, healthcare, education, artificial intelligence and other sectors.
The awards were announced at the grand finale of Hackaholics 7.0, themed “Festival of the Future”, held in Lagos on Friday, November 6, 2026.
The overall winner, Tony Nwose, founder of Niteon, received the highest prize of ₦60 million for developing an agricultural technology platform that connects African farmers with processors, financial services and markets.
The competition attracted 5,329 participants who generated 1,632 ideas and innovative solutions across seven pitch centres in Uyo, Kano, Yaba College of Technology, Benin, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos.
According to Wema Bank, 59 participants emerged from the nationwide selection exercise, while 21 finalists advanced to the grand finale to compete across four categories: Startup/Ideathon, Social Impact, Women-Led and Hackathon.
In the Startup/Ideathon category, Emmanuel Adeboje of Acceede received ₦40 million for his education-focused innovation, while David Lawani of All-Arbitrates secured ₦20 million for his digital platform designed to improve access to arbitration and dispute resolution.
In the Social Impact category, Kabir Olaosebikan of Craft Planet won ₦40 million for developing sustainable building materials from plastic waste.
Samuel Shonubi of SocialSign received ₦30 million for his sign language technology solution, while Oluwaseyi Akinlolu of Harthio secured ₦20 million for his mental wellness innovation.
For the Women-Led category, Zainab Adeagbo of MamaAlert received ₦20 million for her digital healthcare solution aimed at improving women’s access to medical services.
Precious Zino of URI secured ₦10 million for an artificial intelligence-powered marketing solution designed to help businesses improve customer engagement and expand their digital reach.
In the Hackathon category, Kelvin Nnadi of Neural Forge won ₦30 million for developing an AI-powered medical diagnostic solution.
David Campbell of Nexa AI received ₦20 million for his AI-powered customer intelligence platform, while Uti Henry of Vhorde secured ₦10 million for IRIS, an AI-powered smart glasses innovation designed to help visually impaired people navigate their surroundings.
Speaking at the event, Wema Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, said the ₦300 million award demonstrated the bank’s confidence in the innovators and its commitment to supporting emerging entrepreneurs.
In a statement released after the event, Oseni said the bank was investing in businesses capable of creating jobs, transforming industries and contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth.
He added that Hackaholics would continue to identify promising talent, support innovative solutions and provide entrepreneurs with the resources needed to develop their businesses.
The overall winner, Nwose, said the prize would support the expansion of Niteon’s agricultural technology platform and strengthen its capacity to connect African farmers with international buyers.
Launched in 2019, Hackaholics has evolved into one of Wema Bank’s major initiatives for identifying and supporting emerging technology entrepreneurs.
According to figures released by the bank, the programme has attracted more than 21,000 applicants across seven editions, engaged over 50,000 participants, supported more than 10,000 startups across three countries and contributed to the development of more than 100 solutions.
The bank said its support for innovators extends beyond competition prizes to include mentorship, industry exposure, partnerships and access to networks that can help businesses grow.
