Nigerian students unite at Squad Hackathon to transform ideas into solutions.
By Bayo Wahab
No fewer than 65 students from universities across the country participated in the second edition of HabariPay’s Squad Hackathon to transform their ideas into fin-tech solutions.
Launched in 2024, Squad Hackathon seeks to foster creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills among emerging tech talents.
The three-day event, held at GTCO Training Complex, Tayo’s Plaza, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, and themed “Finclusion Revolution: Unlocking Access, Empowering Communities,” is an annual social coding competition designed for undergraduates.
Speaking to journalists in Abeokuta, Edu Japhet, the Managing Director of HabariPay Ltd, said the 2025 edition of the competition attracted participants - who are interested in solving payment solutions - from 20 different tertiary institutions, adding that the “programme is a platform to groom young talents.”
“Everybody who had a product or an idea around financial inclusion, and wanted to take up that challenge is part of the participating teams,” she said.
Sharing the success stories of the social coding competition, Edu said Squad Hackathon, in barely two years, has become a platform to nurture and platform participants’ solution ideas, bring them to life and boost their confidence.
“Looking at what we achieved last year, I think the biggest thing is being able to give back to students at that level, to give them a platform to dream, to take those dreams and actually create things that are useful and can solve problems that all of us encounter day to day, to take those ideas and bring them to life. I think looking back at the students who are part of the program last year, I’ve seen them with increased confidence,” she stated.
Edu, who was visibly impressed by some of the participants’ initiatives said, “It’s incredible that we have that kind of talent on the continent.”
Among the fin-tech solutions developed by the participants is an app designed to allow visually impaired persons to send and receive money and pay for utilities.
According to Edu, the three winning teams will take home cash prizes “ranging from N5million to N2million.”
She added that participants with outstanding talent would be groomed for a three - or four-year mentorship and internship programme at Squad Academy.
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