Nigerian Students Win $5K for AI Ad Platform at Hackathon

Students in Enugu State, Nigeria are proving that the next wave of African tech innovation might be happening right in university classrooms.

At the first-ever Enugu Campus Hackathon, teams of young entrepreneurs pitched their startup ideas for investment grants totaling over $13,000. The state-backed competition drew students from universities across the region, all competing to solve real problems with technology.

Growdex took home the top prize of $5,000. The platform uses artificial intelligence to help small businesses and content creators manage their advertising across multiple channels from one simple dashboard. For entrepreneurs juggling Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads with limited budgets, it's a game-changer.

Runner-up Zaddy Express earned $3,500 for their last-mile delivery platform connecting businesses with fast, reliable couriers. Third place went to Linia Finance, which won $2,500 for building credit tools specifically designed for small businesses and individuals who typically get overlooked by traditional banks.

In a special category for deep technology, Ambu Gynacare won $2,500 for developing biodegradable sanitary pads made from banana fibers. The innovation tackles two problems at once: menstrual poverty and plastic waste.

Governor Peter Mbah explained that the competition reflects a bigger vision to transform Enugu from a place that simply consumes goods to one that creates them. "We are not merely providing a platform for competition," he said. "We are architecting systems designed to unlock the vast potential of our youth."

The Ripple Effect

The real prize might be what comes after the hackathon ends. Every winning team gets six months of intensive support from Genesys Tech Hub, valued at over $10,000. They'll receive mentorship, help refining their products, and coaching on how to pitch to investors.

Arinze Chilo-Offiah, the governor's adviser on digital economy, said focusing on universities was intentional. "This is an incubation program that goes to the heart of the startup ecosystem, which is our universities," he explained. "That is where innovation starts."

The ten finalist teams earned their spots after campus rounds and a 10-day intensive boot camp, proving their ideas could work in the real world.

Enugu is betting that today's students will become tomorrow's job creators, building companies that can compete globally while solving local problems.