The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced SORA as the overall winner of its fourth Hackathon Live Show, themed “Technology Without Barriers.” SORA received the N3 million grand prize, while Clear Signal and IKOR won N2 million and N1 million for placing second and third, respectively.
The 2-day hackathon brought together 20 teams of innovators, developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities to create technology-driven solutions that promote digital inclusion and support underserved communities. All participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates.
SORA developed an inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria. Clear Signal created an accessible electricity outage alert system for people with visual and hearing impairments, while IKOR developed an AI-powered voice dictation and writing tool for users facing typing, connectivity and hardware challenges.
Representing NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management Rimini Makama said the initiative was designed to address barriers such as the high cost of devices, limited digital skills, inadequate assistive technologies and poor accessibility features. He stressed that technology should eliminate barriers rather than create new ones, adding that accessible innovation could expand economic participation and unlock new markets.
The NCC’s efforts were commended by representatives of MTN Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Central Bank of Nigeria, who highlighted the hackathon’s potential to strengthen innovation, empowerment and financial inclusion for women, youths, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.
