Wema Bank targets youth innovation with hackaholics 7.0

Wema Bank has unveiled the seventh edition of its innovation programme, Hackaholics, with a focus on empowering young Nigerian innovators and accelerating the growth of technology-driven solutions across Africa.

The financial institution announced Hackaholics 7.0 at a news conference on Wednesday at its head office in Lagos, introducing three participation tracks and seven innovation areas designed to attract startups and young entrepreneurs.

Launched in 2019, Hackaholics is a youth and technology-focused initiative created to support innovators with ideas capable of solving real-world challenges through technology.

The programme has, over the years, supported thousands of startups and innovators, engaged tens of thousands of participants, developed over 100 solutions and rewarded previous winners with grant funding to scale their ideas.

The 2026 edition, themed “Powering Possibilities”, will focus on seven key sectors: Financial Inclusion, Healthcare, Digital Transformation, Education, Sustainability, Social Impact, and Future of Work.

Applicants will compete under three categories — the Startup Pitch Competition, Hackathon and the newly introduced Social Impact track. The application process will be conducted through the official Hackaholics portal.

Following the application phase, the programme will embark on a national innovation tour covering 10 pitch centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Selected innovators will have the opportunity to present their ideas at regional hubs before advancing to the grand finale, where winners of Hackaholics 7.0 will be announced.

Moruf Oseni, managing director/CEO of the bank, said the programme reflects the bank’s commitment to supporting innovation, youth empowerment and economic development.

“At Wema Bank, we believe that institutions have a responsibility that extends beyond providing commercial services. We have a responsibility to create meaningful opportunities, provide the right resources, enable innovation to thrive, and support the ecosystems that will shape today’s youth as well as tomorrow’s economy,” Oseni said