By George Ozalla
SORA has won the fourth edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Hackathon Live Show, receiving N3 million as the grand prize for developing a technology platform designed to link persons with disabilities to employment and skills development opportunities.
Clear Signal came second with N2 million, while IKOR placed third and received N1 million at the two day competition held from August 26 to 27, 2026, at the NCC Annex Office, Mbora, Abuja.
The Hackathon, with the theme, “Technology Without Barriers,” brought together 20 teams of innovators, software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities to develop technology solutions addressing challenges affecting access to digital services and participation in the digital economy.
The three leading teams received cash prizes, while all participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates of participation.
SORA’s winning solution is an inclusive job matching and adaptive skills platform designed for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria. It connects users with employment opportunities and skills development resources, with the aim of reducing some of the difficulties persons with disabilities face in accessing jobs and acquiring relevant skills.
Clear Signal, which finished second, developed a system that enables blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing electricity consumers to receive power outage alerts through voice calls, text messages and visual notifications.
IKOR, which placed third, presented an artificial intelligence powered voice dictation and writing tool intended to address difficulties associated with costly hardware, poor internet connectivity and physical typing.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barrister Rimini Makama, described young Nigerian innovators as a major resource for the country’s future.
Makama said the next major economic resource for Nigeria was not buried underground or offshore but could be found in the ideas, ingenuity, brilliance and determination of young Nigerians.
Maida said the cost of digital devices, inadequate digital skills, limited access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features on some digital platforms continued to restrict the participation of many Nigerians in the digital economy.
He said, “Technology should not create new barriers; at its best, technology should remove them,” adding that the Hackathon provided an avenue for developing practical solutions to accessibility challenges.
The NCC chief executive said accessible and assistive technologies could open up untapped markets, increase consumer participation and enable more Nigerians to take part in the formal economy as creators, entrepreneurs and digital citizens.
He urged investors, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to support the commercialisation of promising innovations produced through the programme.
At the opening ceremony, Makama, who was represented by the Director, Zonal Operations, Usman Malah, said the Hackathon reflected the Commission’s commitment to an inclusive digital society where technology creates opportunities for all.
She said the success of technological development should be judged by its ability to improve lives, expand opportunities and enable people to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Makama urged the innovators to produce solutions that were affordable, scalable, user friendly and capable of making a practical difference in the lives of users.
The Director, Digital Economy Department of the NCC, Helen Obi, said the Hackathon was established to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion and universal access.
Obi said the participating teams developed solutions covering healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, artificial intelligence powered sign language translation, voice enabled services and assistive technologies for visually impaired persons.
She also disclosed that the NCC had developed an indigenous Hackathon Judge Software to automate and standardise the judging process.
In a goodwill message, Chinyelu Chikwendu, Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation at MTN Nigeria, commended the NCC for supporting the development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Chikwendu described the Commission as “a regulator with a difference,” saying it had gone beyond industry regulation to support innovation, startups and technology solutions capable of improving lives.
She particularly commended the focus of the Hackathon on persons with disabilities and reaffirmed MTN’s commitment to supporting innovation and technology development.
Also speaking, Eneh Omawumi, Head of the Gender Desk Unit at the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, commended the NCC for promoting innovation, empowerment and inclusion through the programme.
Omawumi praised the conduct of the competition and urged the participants to continue developing their ideas.
Similarly, Amadi Kenneth of the Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria said the Hackathon was a worthwhile initiative, noting that some of the solutions had the potential to deepen financial inclusion among women, youths, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.
Kenneth expressed the CBN’s readiness to collaborate with the NCC and the innovators to explore the use of some of the solutions in promoting digital and financial inclusion.
The NCC also commended its technical partners, mentors, judges and other stakeholders for their contributions to the programme and restated its commitment to indigenous content development, support for local technology ecosystems and wider access to the benefits of the digital economy.
