Innovators win US$10,000 at maiden Enugu hackathon

Young innovators won US$10,000 at maiden Enugu campus hackathon, the platform aimed at transforming the state as a rising hub for youth-led digital enterprise. The main category of the hackathon saw collaboration with Genesys Tech Hub, The Garage, and Capitis Global Ventures to produce Growdex, an AI-powered advertising automation platform that enables creators and businesses […]

Young innovators won US$10,000 at maiden Enugu campus hackathon, the platform aimed at transforming the state as a rising hub for youth-led digital enterprise.

The main category of the hackathon saw collaboration with Genesys Tech Hub, The Garage, and Capitis Global Ventures to produce Growdex, an AI-powered advertising automation platform that enables creators and businesses to create, publish, and optimize ads across multiple channels from a single dashboard.

Their efforts earned them the star prize of $5,000 in investment grant.

Zaddy Express, a tech-enabled logistics and on-demand delivery platform delivering fast, reliable, last-mile solutions for individuals and businesses, came second and won $3,500 investment grant.

Linia Finance, a fintech platform providing accessible, data-driven credit and financial tools to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, and underserved individuals came third and got US$2,500 investment grant.

In the DeepTech category powered by the African DeepTech Foundation, Ambu Gynacare, a health-tech startup developing biodegradable sanitary pads made from banana fibers to combat menstrual poverty and reduce plastic waste emerged winner, taking home the sum of US$2,500 in investment grant.

The state’s governor, Dr. Peter Mbah described the campus hackathon as part of his administration’s bold innovation drives to move the state from a consumption-driven economy to a productivity-led economy.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, stressed that the administration’s guiding philosophy “is a clear shift from consumption to productivity.”

Mbah described the initiative as part of a broader investment in what he termed “intellectual infrastructure.”

“We are redesigning our educational system to produce problem-solvers rather than mere certificate holders. By modernising our curriculum and enabling technology-driven learning, we are preparing our young people for the demands of the future global workplace. This is what we call intellectual infrastructure,” he said.