The Nigerian Communications Commission’s fourth Hackathon Live Show has spotlighted a new generation of Nigerian technology solutions designed to make digital services more accessible to people with disabilities and underserved communities.

SORA, an inclusive job matching and adaptive skills platform for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria, emerged as the overall winner of the 2026 competition, receiving the ₦3 million grand prize. Clear Signal and IKOR came second and third respectively, winning ₦2 million and ₦1 million.

The two-day competition, themed “Technology without Barriers”, brought together 20 teams of innovators, developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities to develop solutions addressing practical barriers to digital participation.

SORA connects persons with disabilities to employment opportunities and skills development resources, targeting one of the most persistent challenges facing people who are often excluded from the formal labour market.

Clear Signal, which placed second, focuses on access to electricity information. Its platform allows blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing electricity consumers to receive outage alerts through accessible channels including voice calls, text messages and visual notifications.

IKOR, the third-placed solution, uses artificial intelligence for voice dictation and writing, helping users overcome limitations linked to physical typing, expensive hardware and unreliable internet connectivity.

The NCC said the solutions demonstrated how technology can be used not only to improve convenience but also to bring people who are often excluded into economic and social participation.

Speaking at the event, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, described young Nigerian innovators as an important resource for the country’s economic future.

“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 identified the cost of devices, limited digital skills, inadequate access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features as some of the barriers preventing many Nigerians from fully participating in the digital economy.

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He said technology should be used to remove such barriers rather than create new ones, adding that accessible technology could open new markets and bring more Nigerians into the formal economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and creators.

The NCC’s Director of Digital Economy, Helen Obi, said the hackathon was designed to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion.

According to her, the participating teams developed solutions across areas including healthcare, education, emergency communications, USSD services, AI-powered sign language translation, voice-enabled services and assistive technology for people with visual impairments.

The Commission also showcased its indigenous NCC Hackathon Judge Software, developed to automate and standardise the judging process during the competition.

The opening ceremony featured calls for innovators to focus on solutions that are affordable, scalable and easy to use. Representatives of MTN Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Central Bank of Nigeria also commended the initiative.

For the NCC, the competition points to a broader challenge facing Nigeria’s digital economy: expanding access is no longer only about putting people online. It also requires ensuring that people can actually use digital services, find economic opportunities and access essential information regardless of disability or other barriers. All 20 participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates of participation.

Meiza Nigeria