By Peace Udugba
Clear Signal and IKOR take second and third positions as 20 young innovation teams showcase technology solutions designed to promote digital inclusion.
SORA has emerged as the overall winner of the fourth edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Hackathon Live Show 2026, winning the grand prize of ₦3 million for its innovative technology solution designed to improve employment and skills opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Clear Signal came second and received ₦2 million, while IKOR placed third and won ₦1 million.
The winners were announced at the conclusion of the two-day hackathon, themed “Technology Without Barriers,” which brought together 20 teams comprising young innovators, software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities from across Nigeria.
The competition focused on developing practical technology-driven solutions aimed at removing barriers to digital participation and promoting inclusion among persons with disabilities and other underserved communities.
SORA, the winning innovation, is an inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform designed for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria. The platform seeks to connect users with employment opportunities and skills-development resources.
Clear Signal, which finished second, provides accessible electricity outage alerts for blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers through voice calls, text messages and visual notifications.
IKOR, the third-place winner, is an artificial intelligence-powered voice dictation and writing tool designed to address challenges associated with expensive assistive hardware, poor internet connectivity and physical typing.
Beyond the cash prizes awarded to the top three teams, all participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates of participation in recognition of their contributions to advancing digital inclusion and accessible technology development.
Speaking through Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission remained committed to leveraging innovation to tackle digital exclusion and ensure that all Nigerians, particularly persons with disabilities and underserved communities, could participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Maida noted that barriers including the high cost of devices, inadequate digital skills, limited access to assistive technologies and poor accessibility features on some digital platforms continue to restrict digital participation.
He said technology should be deployed to remove, rather than create, barriers to participation.
According to him, accessible technology also presents significant economic opportunities by expanding consumer participation and enabling more Nigerians to participate in the formal economy as creators, entrepreneurs and digital citizens.
The NCC chief executive encouraged investors, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to support the commercialisation of promising innovations emerging from the hackathon.
Earlier, at the opening ceremony, Makama, represented by Usman Malah, Director, Zonal Operations, said the hackathon reflected the Commission’s commitment to building an inclusive digital society where technology creates opportunities for everyone.
She urged participants to develop solutions that are affordable, scalable, user-friendly and capable of creating measurable impact.
Helen Obi, Director, Digital Economy Department, said the hackathon was conceived to promote indigenous innovation while advancing digital inclusion and universal access.
Obi disclosed that participating teams developed solutions addressing challenges in healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, AI-powered sign-language translation, voice-enabled services and assistive technologies for visually impaired persons.
She also highlighted the NCC Hackathon Judge Software, an indigenous solution developed by the Commission to automate and standardise the judging process.
In a goodwill message, Chinyelu Chikwendu, Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation at MTN Nigeria, commended the NCC for supporting the growth of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and described the Commission as a regulator that goes beyond industry oversight to actively promote innovation.
The NCC said the hackathon provided young Nigerian innovators with an opportunity to showcase their ideas on a national platform, receive industry feedback and develop solutions capable of addressing real-world accessibility challenges.
The Commission maintained that initiatives such as the NCC Hackathon are essential to building a digitally inclusive Nigeria in which persons with disabilities and underserved communities can access technology, education, employment and economic opportunities.
