Lagos, Nigeria — October 7, 2025:
The Solana Students Africa Summit Grand Finale, held at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, brought together hundreds of young innovators, developers, and tech enthusiasts from across Africa for a full day of learning, building, and collaboration.
Convened by Opeyemi Stephen and Tobiloba Adedeji, the event marked the culmination of the Solana Students Africa Hackathon, a month-long innovation challenge designed to equip university students with hands-on experience in blockchain technology and decentralised systems.
Supported by Women in DeFi, GitHub Campus Experts, SuperteamNG, Web3Afrika, and the Google Developer Students Club, the summit featured keynote speeches, product demos, and a lively panel discussion that explored Africa’s growing participation in the global Web3 ecosystem.
Opening the event, Tobiloba Adedeji, Co-founder of Solana Students Africa and a fifth-year Computer Science student at the University of Lagos, shared how the Solana community continues to shape the continent’s next generation of digital builders. “We started as a small community of learners with big dreams,” he said. “Now, we’re seeing African students build global solutions, connect with networks across borders, and create real impact through technology.”
For many participants, the summit was more than a competition; it was a launchpad. Lydia Solomon, a product designer and developer, described how Solana Students Africa transformed her understanding of the tech ecosystem. “The community gave me the confidence to build, collaborate, and understand how the industry works. It’s been life-changing,” she said.
Delivering the first keynote, Gui Bibeau, Education Lead at the Solana Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s mission to democratise access to blockchain education.
“Consistency and creativity are your greatest assets,” he told attendees. “Keep showing up and building, because your next project might be the one that changes the world.”
The hackathon demo session spotlighted innovative projects tackling real-world challenges.
- Studiq by Eniola Lalasisi: an AI-powered platform that integrates learning, money, and campus life.
- Our Money (HawaMoni) by Akin Odebiyi: a transparent group finance solution for student teams and organisations.
- Konnect by Lydia Solomon: a campus marketplace connecting students to nearby vendors for essential goods and services.
Other standout projects included Sling, a decentralised prediction platform that tokenises user engagement, and Sentinel, a blockchain-based security solution built by students.
The second keynote was delivered by Judith, representing Harry Obi, Founder of Superteam Lagos, on the topic “How Superteam is Driving the African Narrative and Involvement in the Web3 Space.” The session underscored the importance of positioning African talent globally and creating meaningful pathways for student innovation.
A major highlight of the day was a panel discussion themed “Connecting Students to Global Opportunities,” moderated by Opeyemi Stephen, Co-leader at the Solana Foundation. Panelists included Judith (Superteam Nigeria), Julian Duru (Tech Leader), and Ayo Awosika, Founder of Web3 Bridge Africa and Codex.
“There’s a scarcity of talent not because people can’t learn,” said Duru. “True skill takes time and focus. If you keep building and learning, results will follow.”
Ayo Awosika added, “Every failure is a lesson in disguise. What matters is what you become through it.” Awosika also announced 20 full scholarships for exceptional students to join the Web3 Bridge Africa Program, offering advanced blockchain training and mentorship.
The Solana Students Africa Summit 2025 concluded on a high note with the announcement of the Hackathon winners and recognition of exceptional developers whose creativity and technical brilliance stood out throughout the competition.
The Hackathon showcased groundbreaking innovations across five diverse tracks, each team demonstrating ingenuity and a deep understanding of how Solana technology can power the future of Web3, DeFi, AI, and Education in Africa.
Each winning team received $1,500 in recognition of their outstanding contributions as follows.
Campus Solana Pay Track – Winner: Konnect ($1,500)
Creator: Lydia Solomon
Konnect is a campus-first marketplace powered by Solana Pay, designed to connect students to goods and services within their campuses. By enabling instant, secure, and transparent payments, it addresses challenges around fragmented campus businesses, discovery, and trust.
Think of it as the “Jumia of Universities,” where student entrepreneurs gain visibility and buyers enjoy a seamless, fraud-free shopping experience.
DeFi + AI Analyst Track – Winner: Sling ($1,500)
Creator: Adole David Enencheje
Sling bridges prediction markets and tokenisation, allowing users to take long or short positions on stocks such as the S&P 500, $ORCL, and $MBG directly onchain. Simplifying the process through predictive trading, Sling empowers users to make data-driven investment decisions with its AI-powered screener that aggregates market sentiment and news — all built on Solana.
AI Agent Track – Winner: LyraAI ($1,500)
Creator: Olanrewaju Ademola
LyraAI is an AI-powered financial assistant built to help students budget, save, and invest intelligently through natural, conversational interaction. With features like AI-driven recommendations, expense tracking, and savings automation plus future plans for multi-currency support and Solana DeFi integration, LyraAI redefines what financial empowerment for students looks like.
Education Track
Winner: AfroLearn AI ($1,500)
Creator: Oladepo David
AfroLearn AI is revolutionising Web3 education in Africa by making Solana development accessible, multilingual, and practical. Through interactive tutorials, real-time AI assistance, and on-chain certifications, AfroLearn AI lowers the barriers to blockchain learning and equips African students to become the next generation of Solana developers.
Meta Data Track – Winner: Token Analysis ($1,500)
Creator: Godswill Ubah
Token Analysis enhances transparency and security in blockchain transactions by providing powerful analytical tools for token activity. Using metrics like wallet similarity detection and transaction size patterns, it helps detect coordinated behaviors, evaluate accumulation strategies, and set new standards for on-chain behavioral analytics.
Reflecting on the event’s impact, Opeyemi Stephen, Convener of the Solana Students Africa Summit, said: “This summit proves that Africa’s youth are ready to lead the global technology narrative. Solana Students Africa is not just a community — it’s a launchpad for builders who believe in the future.”
The Solana Students Africa Summit Grand Finale reaffirmed Africa’s growing influence in the blockchain and Web3 space — highlighting a new generation of student innovators building solutions for the world from Africa’s campuses.
