Wema Bank has selected 21 startup teams for the final stage of its seventh Hackaholics innovation programme, marking a significant milestone in the bank’s nationwide search for young technology innovators ahead of the November 6 grand finale in Lagos.
The finalists will compete at the event, themed Festival of the Future, which is expected to bring together startup founders, investors, technology leaders and other stakeholders to showcase emerging solutions and explore opportunities within Nigeria’s growing innovation ecosystem.
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The selected teams are Dynalimb, Harthiq, Acceede, Vhorde, URI, Trarrk, SocialSign, RaverPay, All-Arbitrates, CitizensGage, Craft-Planet, FOID, PayByPalm, Niteonn, Nexa-AI, Neural-Forge, MamaAlert, JolliFlow, Becca, CropiQ and Middleman.
Their selection follows a nationwide competition that attracted 5,329 participants and generated 1,632 ideas and proposed solutions across seven locations: Uyo, Kano, Yaba College of Technology, Benin, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos.
The figures highlight the scale of participation in this year’s edition and the growing interest among young Nigerians in developing technology-driven responses to challenges across different sectors.
The selection comes after an extensive evaluation process that began with the programme’s nationwide pitch-centre tour.
Fifty-nine participants initially emerged from the regional centres before a further round of assessment produced the final shortlist.
The selected innovators are expected to have their solutions assessed during the final programme activities, with outstanding participants recognised at the grand finale.
Wema Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, said the initiative was designed to give young Nigerians the resources and opportunities to translate their ideas into practical solutions.
Speaking about the bank’s vision for the initiative, Oseni said: “We believe that the future of innovation in Nigeria must be driven by the talent, creativity and potential of our people.”
He explained that the Festival of the Future theme reflects the growing influence of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on industries, businesses and everyday life.
According to Oseni, the event is intended to bring innovation closer to people, encourage meaningful conversations and inspire fresh thinking about how technology can shape the future.
Activities for Hackaholics 7.0 will extend beyond the final competition, with a three-day programme designed to expose participants to industry knowledge, professional networks and practical innovation opportunities.
The programme began with the Pre-Pitch session on Wednesday, November 4, where finalists were expected to present refined versions of their solutions.
On Thursday, November 5, participants are scheduled to embark on an Ecosystem Tour powered by Wema Bank.
The tour will provide opportunities to visit leading institutions within the technology and innovation sector, engage with industry professionals and gain practical insights into building and scaling technology-driven ventures.
The activities will culminate on Friday, November 6, with the Festival of the Future grand finale in Lagos, where exceptional innovators will be recognised for their contributions.
Launched in 2019, Hackaholics was established as Wema Bank’s youth-focused innovation initiative to help young Africans develop technology-driven ideas into practical solutions.
Over its first six editions, the programme reportedly engaged more than 50,000 participants, supported over 10,000 startups and facilitated the development of more than 100 solutions from scratch.
The seventh edition was officially introduced on July 1, 2026, under the theme Powering Possibilities, with three competition tracks: Ideathon, Hackathon and Social Impact.
The programme also identified seven priority areas for innovation: financial inclusion, healthcare, digital transformation, education, sustainability, social impact and the future of work.
While the Ideathon provides an avenue for promising ideas to be developed, the Hackathon focuses on technology developers and builders working towards practical solutions.
The Social Impact track, meanwhile, recognises initiatives designed to address societal challenges and deliver measurable benefits to communities.
With the unveiling of the 21 finalists, Hackaholics 7.0 enters its decisive stage, placing emerging Nigerian innovators before a wider network of potential investors, industry leaders and strategic partners.
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For Wema Bank, the initiative represents an ongoing investment in young talent and the development of an innovation ecosystem where promising ideas can move beyond conception into solutions with meaningful economic and social impact.
