SORA has emerged as the overall winner of the fourth edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC Hackathon Live Show 2026, winning the ₦3 million grand prize for developing an inclusive technology solution designed to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Clear Signal and IKOR placed second and third respectively, receiving ₦2 million and ₦1 million, as the two-day competition brought together young innovators focused on developing technology solutions for underserved communities.
The Hackathon, themed “Technology Without Barriers,” featured 20 teams comprising software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, innovators and persons with disabilities who developed solutions addressing challenges around digital accessibility and inclusion.
SORA’s winning solution is an inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria, connecting users with employment opportunities and skills development resources.
Clear Signal, which emerged second, developed an accessible electricity outage alert system for blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers through voice calls, text messages and visual notifications.
IKOR, the third-place solution, is an AI-powered voice dictation and writing tool designed to address barriers created by expensive hardware, poor internet connectivity and physical typing challenges.
The top three teams received cash prizes, while all participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates in recognition of their contributions to advancing digital inclusion.
Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the Commission remained committed to leveraging innovation to address digital exclusion and ensure that persons with disabilities and underserved communities could participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, described young Nigerian innovators as a critical resource for the country’s future, saying their ideas and ingenuity represented an important economic asset.
“Nigeria’s next major oil field is not buried under our soil or offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. It is here, in the ideas, ingenuity, brilliance and determination of the young Nigerians gathered in this room today,” he said.
Maida noted that the high cost of devices, inadequate digital skills, limited access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features on some digital platforms continued to restrict digital participation.
He stressed that technology should remove rather than create barriers, adding that accessible technologies could unlock untapped markets, expand consumer participation and bring millions of Nigerians into the formal economy.
The EVC therefore encouraged investors, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to support the commercialisation of promising innovations emerging from the Hackathon.
Earlier, the Commission said the initiative was designed to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion and universal access. The solutions developed by participants addressed areas including healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, AI-powered sign language translation, voice-enabled services and assistive technologies for visually impaired persons.
The Director, Digital Economy Department, Helen Obi, also highlighted the Commission’s indigenous NCC Hackathon Judge Software, developed to automate and standardise the judging process.
Stakeholders at the event commended the NCC for providing a platform for young Nigerians to develop practical solutions to real-world accessibility challenges.
Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation at MTN Nigeria, Chinyelu Chikwendu commended the Commission for supporting the digital ecosystem and specifically praised the focus on persons with disabilities.
Head of the Gender Desk Unit at the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Eneh Omawumi also praised the competition and encouraged participants to continue developing their innovations.
Similarly, Amadi Kenneth of the Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria said several of the solutions had the potential to deepen financial inclusion for women, youths, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.
He expressed the CBN’s willingness to collaborate with the NCC and participating innovators to deploy relevant solutions in advancing digital and financial inclusion.
The NCC also commended its technical partners, mentors, judges and other stakeholders for supporting the Hackathon, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening indigenous technology development and ensuring that the benefits of Nigeria’s digital economy are accessible to all.