…N70,000,000 cash prize up for grabs
Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has officially announced the launch of the 5th edition of its flagship youth and startup-focused tech competition, Hackaholics.
The announcement was made at a press conference held at the bank’s Head Office in Lagos on April 18, 2024. Hackaholics is an annual tech and innovation competition birthed by Wema Bank in 2019. This groundbreaking annual Hackathon provides a platform for young Nigerians with tech-driven ideas to bring their game-changing ideas to life, scale their ventures and access a wider market for these tech-enabled solutions.
Hackaholics has, over 4 editions, transforming thousands of lives and businesses across the country, helping Nigerian Youth to build their own Startups, creating sustainable sources of income with competitive edge on the global tech and innovation scene.
Themed “Meta-Idea: DigiTech Solutions for Africa’s Prosperity”, the 5th edition of Hackaholics pledges a total cash prize of over N70,000,000 for top innovators across Africa. This grand scale edition will be executed over a six-month period, touring 10 Universities across Africa and challenging the Youth to pitch unique, innovative and practical Digi-Tech solutions to positively impact the acceleration of progress, development and prosperity not just in Nigeria but across the African continent.
Reaffirming the bank’s commitment to championing innovation and empowering innovators, Wema Bank’s Executive Director of Retail and Digital Business, Tunde Mabawonku, emphasised the role of Hackaholics in bridging the gaps in Africa’s macroeconomic landscape through innovation.
“Our mission as a bank is very clear, ‘Empowering Lives Through Innovation’ and this is the exact purpose behind Hackaholics. Within the bank, we have transformed the status quo and redefined the standards with cutting-edge solutions and technology, hence our position as Nigeria’s most innovative bank, but we didn’t end there. With Hackaholics, we have taken our innovation drive outside the bank, empowering youth for success and facilitating the development of transformative solutions tailored to the needs of diverse Nigerians and even the African populace.
By embracing innovation, fostering a culture of collaboration, and prioritising customer-centricity, we have and will continue to transform and position Wema Bank as a digital leader, in action, products and services. Our aspirations are not merely about implementing new technologies; they are about fundamentally transforming how we operate, to be Simple, Seamless, Convenient and Reliable in service to our customers”, he said.
Also speaking, Wema Bank’s Head of Innovation, Solomon Ayodele said: “The theme for this year is ‘Meta-Idea: DigiTech Solutions for Africa’s Prosperity is anchored on two principal factors—The Meta Idea and African Prosperity. We are challenging the youth to develop extraordinary ideas that will proffer practical solutions to our local problems as Africans.”
Prospective youths are enjoined to submit their entry by visiting https://hackaholics.wemabank.com/register.
