SORA Wins NCC Hackathon, Gets N3m Prize
By Patience Ikpeme
SORA has emerged the overall winner of the fourth Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Hackathon Live Show 2026, securing the N3 million grand prize for developing a technology platform designed to improve access to jobs and skills training for persons with disabilities.
Clear Signal came second and received N2 million, while IKOR placed third with a N1 million prize at the two-day event, which focused on the theme, “Technology Without Barriers.”
The hackathon brought together 20 teams comprising developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities to develop technology-based solutions aimed at making digital services more accessible to Nigerians who face barriers to participation in the digital economy.
SORA’s winning solution is a job-matching and adaptive-skills platform that connects verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria with employment opportunities and training resources. The platform is designed to help users find opportunities that match their skills while also providing access to programmes that can improve their employability.
Clear Signal, which emerged as the second-place winner, developed an accessible telecommunications outage-alert system. The solution uses voice calls, SMS and visual notifications to provide information about service outages to blind and visually impaired people as well as deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
IKOR, the third-place winner, developed an artificial intelligence-powered voice dictation and writing tool intended to make digital writing easier for people who face difficulties with physical typing.
The NCC said the solutions presented at the hackathon demonstrated how technology could be used to address practical challenges facing persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.
Speaking on the initiative, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, said the Commission was committed to supporting innovation that would help reduce digital exclusion across the country.
He said the NCC wanted technology to become a means of expanding opportunities for people who might otherwise be left out of Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
According to him, the Commission’s approach is to encourage innovation that responds to real-life challenges while ensuring that persons with disabilities and underserved communities are able to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, who represented Maida at the event, described young Nigerian innovators as an important national resource.
Makama said technology should be used to make life and economic participation easier rather than introduce additional barriers.
She said the hackathon provided an avenue for young innovators to demonstrate that locally developed technology could respond to the needs of different groups within society.
The Commission said the competing teams developed solutions across several areas, including healthcare, education, emergency communications, accessible USSD services, artificial intelligence-based sign-language translation and voice-enabled services.
The range of solutions, it said, showed the growing interest among Nigerian innovators in developing technology that can serve people with different physical, communication and accessibility needs.
The NCC also called on investors, telecommunications companies and other stakeholders to support the commercialisation of promising solutions developed through the hackathon.
The Commission said moving innovative ideas beyond competitions and into the marketplace would be important in ensuring that the benefits of such technologies reach a wider population.
The event attracted participation from MTN Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Central Bank of Nigeria, reflecting growing collaboration between the public and private sectors in promoting technology and digital inclusion.
Beyond the three winning teams, all participating teams received consolation prizes and certificates of participation.
The NCC said the initiative was part of its broader efforts to encourage Nigerian innovators to develop practical solutions to social and economic challenges while creating a more inclusive digital environment.
The success of SORA, Clear Signal and IKOR also points to the growing role of locally developed technology in addressing the specific challenges faced by persons with disabilities, particularly in accessing employment, education, communication and other essential services.
With increasing dependence on digital platforms for work, education, financial services and communication, the Commission said solutions that make technology accessible to people with disabilities would be important to ensuring that the country’s digital transformation benefits a wider section of the population.
