Over 1,600 university students from across Nigeria applied for the 2026 edition of the HabariPay Squad Hackathon, as young innovators unveiled artificial intelligence-powered solutions addressing unemployment, financial fraud, agricultural inefficiencies and workplace productivity challenges.
The competition, organised by HabariPay, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, attracted widespread interest from undergraduates eager to deploy AI beyond routine digital tasks and towards solving pressing economic and social problems.
Brandspur Brand News reports that organisers received more than 1,600 applications from students across Nigerian universities, with over 600 participants shortlisted after a rigorous screening process that assessed technical competence, teamwork, prior projects and collaborative ability.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, Managing Director of HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet, said slightly over 500 participants eventually took part in the physical hackathon after extensive evaluation of submissions, including GitHub portfolios and previous innovation work.
She explained that the 2026 edition deliberately focused on real-world economic challenges such as unemployment, fraud and insecurity, tasking participants to apply artificial intelligence in practical, scalable ways rather than for basic automation.
Japhet added that participation increased more than tenfold compared to previous editions, driven by strong word-of-mouth from past participants who have since become ambassadors of the programme within academic and professional circles.
Beyond the competition, she disclosed that outstanding participants would be enrolled in a long-term mentorship and talent development programme lasting between two and three years, offering tuition support, advanced technical training, hands-on work experience and potential employment opportunities within the GTCO ecosystem.
Also addressing the students, Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, described the shortlisted participants as exceptional talents selected from a highly competitive pool.
He urged them to embrace teamwork, resilience and integrity throughout the innovation process, stressing that sustainable success comes from ethical conduct and disciplined execution rather than shortcuts.
Among the showcased innovations was a financial inclusion platform designed to help banks identify economically active Nigerians operating in the informal sector, as well as an AI-driven agricultural marketplace aimed at reducing fraud in produce transactions through escrow-backed payments.
Other solutions presented included an AI-powered workforce monitoring system built to help organisations assess productivity among remote and on-site employees while balancing transparency and worker privacy.
Organisers said the quality and depth of ideas presented at the hackathon underscored the growing maturity of Nigeria’s student tech ecosystem and reinforced the role of structured innovation programmes in nurturing future-ready digital talent capable of driving inclusive economic growth.
