The Nigerian Communications Commission has called for increased investment in locally developed technologies to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign software and strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, made the call on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the fourth NCC Hackathon Live Show in Abuja.
The event featured innovators showcasing technology solutions designed to improve digital access for persons with disabilities and other digitally excluded Nigerians.
Represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, Maida said Nigeria must move beyond its reliance on imported software and prioritise the development of technologies designed around local needs.
“Through this hackathon, we are transforming Nigeria from a passive importer of foreign software into a creator of locally engineered assistive technology that serves the ability of all its citizens,” he said.
Maida said the solutions developed during the hackathon, including artificial intelligence-powered speech-to-text tools, voice-enabled public platforms, accessible USSD services and inclusive mobile applications, could serve as foundations for greater technological self-reliance.
He said investment in locally developed and universally accessible technology would help ensure that Nigeria’s digital economy remained secure, affordable and responsive to the country’s unique needs.
“By investing in a homegrown, universally accessible codebase, we guarantee Nigeria’s digital economy remains operational, secure, affordable, and responsive to Nigeria’s realities, immune to external shocks,” he said.
NCC seeks private-sector support
Maida urged venture capitalists, telecommunications operators and state governments to support the innovators and help transform their prototypes into commercially viable products.
“We ask you not to view these innovators as contestants, but as future founders, future partners, and future vendors,” he said.
“We encourage you to step forward, invest in these accessible prototypes, and help us remove digital exclusion.”
According to the NCC boss, the need for locally relevant and accessible technologies has become increasingly urgent as economic and social activities continue to move online.
Citing World Bank estimates, Maida said about 25 million Nigerians live with at least one form of disability, while approximately 3.6 million experience significant difficulties in functioning.
He warned that without deliberate attention to accessibility, persons with disabilities could face exclusion from education, employment, financial services, healthcare and wider participation in society.
MTN pledges support for innovators
Representing MTN Nigeria, Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation, Chinyelu Chikwendu, pledged the telecom operator’s support for the participating innovators.
Chikwendu said MTN was prepared to provide infrastructure and explore partnerships with startups whose technologies aligned with the company’s operations.
“We are happy to support your growth. We are happy to support these beautiful ideas that you are all working on, and we are here to help you with the various infrastructures that we have,” she said.
She noted that startups could leverage MTN’s existing infrastructure and platforms, including its cloud services, data centre and API marketplace, to scale their products.
Chikwendu also invited the 20 innovators who participated in the hackathon to apply for MTN’s next Cloud Accelerator Programme, which offers mentorship, funding and infrastructure support to startups.
CBN eyes innovations for financial inclusion
Also speaking, Amadi Kenneth of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department said the apex bank was interested in exploring how some of the technologies could be deployed to expand financial inclusion.
“We want to see that the excluded Nigerians are brought into the financial system,” he said.
Kenneth identified women, youths, persons with disabilities and people living in remote communities as priority groups for financial inclusion.
He said the CBN was willing to collaborate with the NCC and could invite some of the participating innovators to its Digital Channel Working Group to assess how their applications could contribute to broader financial inclusion.
NCC calls for funding for young innovators
The NCC Director of Digital Economy, Helen Obi, said the commission expected the partnerships generated by the hackathon to help the innovators scale their solutions beyond the competition.
She also called on financial institutions to establish dedicated funding mechanisms for young technology entrepreneurs.
“Youths need to be encouraged. Let’s begin to have a huge fund projected for this sector of the economy,” Obi said.
Sora wins NCC hackathon
At the end of the competition, Sora emerged as the winner and received a N3m prize.
ClearSignal finished second and received N2m, while Ikor came third and received N1m.
The three winners emerged from five finalists, with Aditus and Axol also competing for the top prizes.
The NCC said the hackathon was aimed at promoting innovation, accessibility and the development of locally engineered technologies capable of addressing Nigeria’s digital inclusion challenges.
