Wema Bank Hackaholics 7.0: 11 Nigerian Innovators Share ₦300 Million

Wema Bank Hackaholics 7.0 has ended with 11 Nigerian innovators sharing ₦300 million in prizes and support. The grand finale took place in Lagos on November 6, 2026, under the theme “Festival of the Future.” From AI-powered medical tools to smart glasses for the visually impaired, the winning ideas show how young Nigerians are using technology to solve everyday problems.

In a year when startup funding has become harder to find, a ₦300 million prize pool is a big boost for early-stage founders. Here is who won, what they are building and why it matters.

What Is Wema Bank Hackaholics?

Hackaholics is Wema Bank’s flagship innovation programme. The bank launched it in 2019 to give young innovators a chance to develop their ideas, gain visibility and access resources to grow.

Since then, it has grown into one of Nigeria’s best-known innovation competitions. The seventh edition was the biggest yet. According to The Sun, 5,329 participants submitted 1,632 ideas.

To reach talent beyond Lagos, Wema Bank held pitch sessions at seven centres across the country:

• Uyo
• Kano
• Yaba College of Technology
• Benin
• Ibadan
• Enugu
• Lagos

From this large pool, 21 finalists made it to the grand finale. They competed across four categories: Startup/Ideathon, Social Impact, Women-Led and Hackathon.

Wema Bank Hackaholics 7.0 Winners

Here is the full list of winners and their prizes, as reported by TechCrier and The Sun.

Startup/Ideathon Category

• Tony Niteon Nwose (Niteon): ₦60 million grand prize. Niteon is an agritech platform that connects farmers with processors, financial services and markets.
• Emmanuel Adeboje (Acceede): ₦40 million. Acceede focuses on education.
• David Lawani (All-Arbitrates): ₦20 million. All-Arbitrates is a digital platform for arbitration and dispute resolution.

Social Impact Category

• Kabir Olaosebikan (Craft Planet): ₦40 million. Craft Planet turns plastic waste into sustainable building materials.
• Samuel Ayomide Shonubi (SocialSign): ₦30 million. SocialSign builds sign language technology for people with hearing impairments.
• Oluwaseyi Whyte Akinlolu (Harthio): ₦20 million. Harthio offers a mental wellness solution.

Women-Led Category

• Zainab Boluwatife Adeagbo (MamaAlert): ₦20 million. MamaAlert is a digital healthcare tool that helps women get timely care.
• Precious Zino (URI): ₦10 million. URI is an AI-powered marketing platform for customer engagement.

Hackathon Category

• Kelvin Nnadi (Neural Forge): ₦30 million. Neural Forge builds AI-powered medical diagnostics.
• David Campbell (Nexa AI): ₦20 million. Nexa AI offers AI-powered customer intelligence.
• Uti Henry (Vhorde): ₦10 million. Vhorde built IRIS, AI-powered smart glasses that help visually impaired people navigate.

AI Takes Centre Stage

One clear trend stands out from this year’s winners: artificial intelligence. In fact, at least four of the 11 winning solutions use AI at their core. These include medical diagnostics, customer intelligence, marketing and smart glasses for the visually impaired.

This reflects a wider shift across Nigeria’s startup scene. Founders are no longer just building apps. Instead, they are using AI to tackle problems in health, accessibility and business. Notably, the Hackathon category was won entirely by AI-powered solutions.

At the same time, the winners cover a wide range of sectors. Agriculture, healthcare, education, the environment, mental wellness and legal services all feature on the list. As a result, the competition offers a useful snapshot of where young Nigerian innovators see the biggest opportunities.

What Wema Bank’s CEO Said

Wema Bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Moruf Oseni, used the finale to highlight a long-standing problem. According to The Sun, he said Nigeria has “enormous entrepreneurial potential” but needs stronger financial and institutional support.

Oseni identified poor access to funding as one of the biggest challenges facing startups. He also stressed that capital alone is not enough. In his view, mentorship, strategic partnerships and business networks are just as important for turning ideas into successful companies.

Furthermore, he urged banks, investors and corporate organisations to do more to support young entrepreneurs. He also encouraged the finalists to stay persistent, keep learning and stay focused on their customers.

Why Wema Bank Hackaholics Matters in 2026

The timing of this prize money is important. Startup funding in Africa has become more selective this year. As our analysis of African startup funding in 2026 shows, fewer startups are raising money, and investors are writing fewer cheques.

In this climate, programmes like Wema Bank Hackaholics fill an important gap. Early-stage founders often struggle most, because they have ideas but little traction to show investors. Prize money, mentorship and industry exposure can help them build working products and attract larger funding later.

Of course, winning a competition is only the first step. The long-term impact will depend on how the winners use the support to build sustainable businesses. Many promising ideas fail because of weak execution, poor market fit or running out of cash.

What Happens Next for the Winners

The cash prize is only one part of the package. According to TechCrier, the programme also offers mentorship, industry connections and support to help winners commercialise their ideas. For early-stage founders, these links can be just as valuable as the money itself.

For example, a founder with a strong product may still struggle to find customers, partners or the right advisers. Through Hackaholics, winners gain access to Wema Bank’s network and wider industry exposure. As a result, they have a better chance of reaching more users and building revenue.

In the coming months, the real test will be execution. Founders will need to turn prototypes into products, win paying customers and prove that their businesses can grow.

Lessons for Nigerian Founders

For aspiring founders, the winners offer some useful lessons. First, they focused on real problems that many Nigerians face, such as access to healthcare, plastic waste and support for people with disabilities. Second, several of them used AI to make their solutions smarter and more scalable.

Finally, competitions like Hackaholics show that founders do not always need big investors to get started. If you are building with limited resources, our guide on how to start a tech startup with no money offers practical steps to begin.

The Bottom Line

Wema Bank Hackaholics 7.0 gave 11 Nigerian innovators ₦300 million to turn their ideas into businesses. With strong participation, a wide spread of sectors and a clear rise in AI-powered solutions, the programme shows that Nigeria’s innovation pipeline remains healthy. Now, the challenge for the winners is to build on this momentum and grow into lasting companies.