Nigeria to host maiden AfCFTA hackathon
In a move to unlock the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Nigeria, the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has announced the launch of the first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon in the country with a N20 million grand prize. A statement signed by the Lead, Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office and Director of the […]
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
In a move to unlock the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Nigeria, the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has announced the launch of the first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon in the country with a N20 million grand prize.
A statement signed by the Lead, Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office and Director of the Hackathon Project, Mr Olusegun Olutayo, said the hackathon is an innovative, tech-driven challenge specifically designed with Nigeria’s enterprising youth in mind.
He said the initiative, led by Cherith-Code Concept Ltd, an International Trade Consortium, is supported by a coalition of partners, including Ascend Studios Foundation, Amazon Web Services, GFA Technologies, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Real Sources Africa, a Kenya-based company.
This annual, high-impact project will focus on unpacking the opportunities presented by the newly adopted AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (DTP).
Olutayo emphasised that the initiative will expand opportunities under the AfCFTA framework, empowering Nigerian innovators to explore and dominate the continental market through digital trade.
The platform will serve as a hub for developing competitive, practical and innovative solutions to power digital trade across Africa.
“Held as a flagship event at the Science of Trade (SOT) Conference 2025, hosted by Ascend Studios Foundation, the maiden AfCFTA Hackathon is set to take place from May 1 to 3, 2025, in Lagos.”
The convener of the SOT conference, Dr Inya Lawal, expressed enthusiasm about the hackathon’s transformative potential and the partnership with the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.
The COO of Cherith-Code Concept says the hackathon marks a pivotal shift in how Africa approaches digital trade. It sparks practical innovations that shape the continent’s economic future.
The Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, is expected to attend the SOT Conference 2025 as a special guest and would deliver a keynote address, serve on the hackathon jury panel, and offer mentorship and strategic policy guidance during the event.