Wema Bank has revealed the grand finale of fifth edition of Hackaholics, its premier tech competition aimed at young people and startups. Additionally, victors will get rewards totaling ₦75 million.
On November 27, 2024, Hackaholics 5.0 will have its much-anticipated grand finale with the topic “Meta Idea: Capitalizing Africa’s Growth Through Innovation.” By utilizing the continent’s economic potential through innovation and digital transformation, this year’s theme seeks to demonstrate how tech-driven solutions can support Africa’s development.
Wema Hackaholics is a ground-breaking program that was started in 2019 to empower Nigerian kids to be creative and enterprising by giving them a platform to realize their tech-driven ideas.
The nation’s top innovators from tech communities and colleges will come together for the grand finale. These entrepreneurs will present their Digi-Tech solutions that address pressing issues and advance the social and economic development of Africa. The event is expected to be the result of months of intense competition, teamwork, and mentoring, giving young people’s tech ideas a chance to grow.
Moruf Oseni, MD/CEO of Wema Bank, outlined the bank’s aim for Hackaholics and announced the date of the grand finale, saying: “Hackaholics is more than a competition; it is a movement to equip Nigeria’s youth with the skills, networks, and resources needed to drive Africa’s digital transformation. The Meta Idea theme for this year is a call to action for young innovators to think beyond the present and design solutions that will capitalize on Africa’s growth. We are excited to see how our participants envision and build the Africa of tomorrow.”
Continuing, Oseni had this to say about the prices: “At the grand finale, participants will compete for exciting cash prizes, grants, and access to Wema Bank’s extensive network of investors, mentors, and industry experts. The total worth of prizes for this year is ₦75,000,000. The winning team will receive ₦30,000,000, the first runner-up will receive ₦20,000,000 and the second runner-up will receive ₦15,000,000 worth of prizes. Additionally, we will be awarding a special grant of ₦10,000,000 worth of prizes to the female-led team to encourage gender diversity in tech innovation.”
Wema Bank’s dedication to using innovation and entrepreneurship to shape Africa’s future is demonstrated by its Hackaholics initiative. Over 10,000 aspiring tech innovators and entrepreneurs from all over Nigeria have participated in Hackaholics 5.0, which started with a statewide call for entries earlier this year. 34 innovators from all places will present their ideas at the pre-pitch stage before the grand finale, which is planned to take place in Lagos after 2,297 applications were received from 8 physical pitch centers and 1 virtual pitch center.
Brandspur banking and finance news report that Wema Bank has given young people a forum through Hackaholics to transform their inventiveness and spirit of entrepreneurship into practical technological solutions that tackle Africa’s most urgent problems. With an impact on thousands of young minds, Hackaholics has developed into one of Nigeria’s biggest and most significant tech competitions throughout the years.
In addition to grants and monetary awards, the competition gives winners access to industry networks, mentors, and tools to assist them expand their discoveries internationally. This program is a crucial component of Wema Bank’s larger plan to use technology to propel socioeconomic development in Africa.
Interested parties can sign up at https://hackaholics.wemabank.com/grandfinale to attend the grand finale.
