By Henry Obetta

Wema Bank has announced the emergence of the Top 20 finalists for Hackaholics 6.0 following a two-day pre-pitch event held on December 16 and 17, 2025.

Hackaholics is Wema Bank’s flagship innovation platform designed to identify, support, and scale technology-driven solutions across Nigeria.

The Top 20 finalists are drawn from two categories introduced for the sixth edition of the programme: the Hackathon stream and the Ideathon stream. The Hackathon finalists are Rapid DEV, Secure IT, Neurafeed, Trust Lock Babcock, Pulse Track, IlluminiTrust, Trust Lock FUTA, Fix Fraud AI, KASH Flow, and VOC AI. The Ideathon finalists include PLOY, Fertitude, VarsityScape, Mama ALERT, StockMed, Chao, All Arbitrate, FarmSlate, Sane AI, and Cycle X.

Commenting on the expanded structure of Hackaholics 6.0, Wema Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, said the dual-stream approach was designed to accommodate both creators of new solutions and innovators refining existing ideas. According to him, innovation is not limited to building from scratch but also involves optimising and improving existing systems to drive efficiency and impact.

Oseni noted that Hackaholics continues to demonstrate the creativity and problem-solving capacity of Nigerian youths. He revealed that the 2025 edition toured seven cities and engaged 1,460 participants, leading to the discovery of numerous promising ideas. From these, 43 teams were shortlisted to advance to the pre-pitch stage, where further evaluation led to the selection of the Top 20 finalists for the grand finale.

The pre-pitch session featured intensive presentations and evaluations, with participants showcasing solutions aimed at addressing real-world challenges across various sectors. The process culminated in the emergence of the Top 10 finalists in each stream, who have now secured their places in the final stage of the competition.
The grand finale of Hackaholics 6.0 is scheduled for December 19, 2025, and is expected to bring together key stakeholders in Africa’s technology and innovation ecosystem. The event will provide finalists with an opportunity to test their solutions, gain industry exposure, and connect with potential investors for funding opportunities beyond the competition prizes.

Prizes for the Ideathon category include ₦25 million for the winner, ₦20 million for the first runner-up, and ₦15 million for the second runner-up, alongside ₦5 million each for two women-led teams. In the Hackathon category, prizes of ₦20 million, ₦15 million, ₦10 million, and ₦5 million will be awarded to the first- through fourth-place winners respectively.