The largest hackathon in Africa is back again and will set stage in Lagos, Nigeria from  Friday 10^th June– Sunday 12^th of June 2022 at Impact Hub Lagos, Ikoyi. Developers in Nigeria are called upon on a quest to “Accelerating Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Through Edge Computing” – the theme of this year’s Hackathon. 

The global labor market is increasingly adopting new technology. New technology makes it easier for companies to automate routine tasks and could disrupt the balance between job responsibilities completed by humans and those completed by machines and algorithms. 

Africa is rising and technology is at the forefront of our growth as a continent. We have seen the explosion of the mobile space in the continent and how it has allowed a number of services and solutions to become easier. Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Sensor Technology, 3D Printing, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence have the potential to act as impact amplifiers and challenging traditional approaches of going about ‘age-old-problems’ in sectors such as agriculture, financial services, healthcare, education, water, and energy.

Today, we’re witnessing the fastest pace of change the world has ever seen. The global economy is being transformed and this change can be daunting to all enterprises and industries. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the main driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

And while it is not a new concept – for decades computers have been programmed by humans to make decisions on available facts - what is different now, as technology advances every day, is an evolution in machine learning. Machines are now developing what is known as “tactic knowledge”, which is essentially how the human mind works. And this will only improve with the explosion of data.

But the true potential of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data can fully be realized through Edge Computing. Thirty years ago, an organization’s intelligence would have been held in data centers. Today, we’re at a stage where some of that workload can be moved onto edge devices. 

The hybrid event will take place from 10^th – 12^th June 2022 physically at Impact Hub Lagos with other participants joining virtually from across the country. Over 500 developers will work in teams of four members (minimum of three members), to develop tech-enabled solutions that will address problems in Nigeria and the rest of Africa with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence and Edge Computing. The top three solutions will receive cash prizes totalling ₦1,000,000 with support to further develop the solution at scale. They will also receive perks worth over $100,000 from global tech partners such as Oracle, Nvidia and Africa’s Talking.

Speaking at the event are Nigerian industry experts such as Olutoyin Ogumola, Head of Enterprise Data at Stanbic IBTC, Nnanna Orieke, AI Expert at Microsoft, Babatunde Fashola, Senior Engineer at Twitter, Olusola Amusan, Co-Founder at Vesti, Mrs. Lawumi Fajemirokun Executive Director, Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation, Folusho Ogunwale, CEO of iFitness and more.

The second edition of Nigeria Hackathon is supported by the following Nigeria companies; Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation (Headline Sponsor), Oracle, Ingressive for Good, Coven Labs, BlueAfric Media, TechCabal, WiiCreate and Impact Hub Lagos.

“The hackathon is expected to expose more Nigerian developers to the concept of Artificial Intelligence and support them with the requisite tools, knowledge and expert resources to create commercially viable solutions. It also aims to teach the participants the essence of teamwork and its importance of creating global change together” said, Foster Awintiti Akugri, President, Hacklab Foundation.

“We have seen the impact these hackathons have created, providing jobs for over 1,300 people and connecting industry to some of the brightest talents in tech. We have no doubt this will add up to the vibrant Nigerian tech ecosystem”, he also said.

Here’s how you can be a part of the event: 

Register your team here: https://bit.ly/HacklabNigeria2022 

The event will be streamed live on the Hacklab Foundation’s Facebook & YouTube pages.

Hacklab Foundation is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Ghana with a focus on preparing the youth for future digital jobs through technology education and skills development. Hacklab has partnered and worked closely with global and African firms like Twitter, IBM, GIZ, Vodafone, MTN Zambia, World Bank, Standard Bank, ZICTA, Zambia Revenue Authority, Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, et al.

Since its inception in 2015, Hacklab Foundation has directly impacted over 12,700 people, organized hackathons, robotics, and coding boot camps for kids between the ages of 7yrs – 13yrs supported 1,000+ women in tech and placed over 1,300 youth in jobs.