The Enugu Campus Hackathon has moved from multi-campus qualifiers to a one-week product bootcamp. Top three teams per campus will pitch at the finale, while extra high-potential teams and a non-campus track join the bootcamp for learning, exposure, and network effects.
The Enugu Campus Hackathon is a state-backed innovation program run by the Enugu SME Center/Office of Digital Economy (Enugu MSME & Startup Agency), delivered with partners Genesys Tech Hub, The Garage, and Capitis Global Ventures. It invites students, recent graduates, and Enugu-based youth aged 18 to 35. “Campus” describes the team structure and venues rather than eligibility.
Participants build solutions across AI, HealthTech, FinTech, AgriTech, EdTech, Clean Energy, GovTech, Cybersecurity, and related verticals. The prize architecture and post-program support total $100,000+ in grants and services, with a pipeline into mentorship, incubation, and investor access.
What happened in the campus rounds
Qualifiers ran across UNN, UNEC, ESUT, IMT, Godfrey Okoye University, and Coal City University, surfacing practical solutions for classrooms, clinics, farms, shops, and civic services. Judges prioritized feasibility, user value, and local impact. Two campuses—UNN and Godfrey Okoye University (GOU)—produced a higher volume of strong entries, so their cohorts include additional teams at bootcamp.
Highlights from the field
- UNN finalists: EulaIQ (textbook-to-AI learning content), FLOF Mart (AgriTech discount marketplace), FurniFit AR (offline AR furniture preview). A wider UNN bench joins the bootcamp learning track.
- IMT finalists: Teeketing (event tech suite), HighScore (gamified exam prep), VentroPay (fast cross-border payments using stablecoin rails).
- UNEC finalists: Anbu Gynaecare (banana-fiber biodegradable pads + digital care access), StokOps (SME inventory & customer management), Tell Person (HealthTech; description forthcoming).
- ESUT finalists: Growdex (AI ad automation), AgroTrack (geo-fence conflict alert system), Zaddy Express (on-demand last-mile delivery).
- GOU finalists: Gencoach (AI tutoring), Outreach (digital mental health with volunteer therapists), Kralis (school operations platform with 15+ schools and 10k+ students).
- Non-campus “Others” track: Linia Finance (smart budgeting across wallets), SpitchLabs (AI sales agent), Inova (AI market sentiment analyzer). They attend bootcamp but do not compete at the campus finale.
How selection works
The program now enters a one-week bootcamp for product sharpening, usability sprints, and pitch drills. At the Grand Finale, only the top three teams from each campus will compete on stage for grant awards and post-incubation support.
Extra teams from UNN and GOU were invited to bootcamp because their campus rounds produced many credible ideas. They receive mentorship, tooling, and partner exposure, then carry those gains back into their build cycles.
Why this matters for the region
This initiative is part of Enugu’s Digital Economy Transformation Plan, which backs structured entrepreneurship, expands digital infrastructure, and grows human capital so that software and data can contribute alongside agriculture and industry. The hackathon creates a repeatable system: idea to prototype, prototype to pilot, pilot to market. It is also a public signal aimed at the youth economy and the diaspora: talent can build at home with real scaffolding in place.
Governor’s Comment:
“The young people of Enugu are not waiting for the future—they are building it,” said His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Executive Governor of Enugu State. “Our administration will continue to invest in innovation, talent, and digital infrastructure so that ideas born in our campuses can scale into companies that create jobs, attract capital, and position Enugu as a global center for technology and entrepreneurship.”
“In many ecosystems the hackathon is the finish line. Here it is the start,” said Arinze Chilo-Offiah, Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Economy and MSMEs, and Director-General of the Enugu MSME & Startup Agency (Enugu SME Center). “Bootcamp and the finale are designed to move teams closer to customers, mentors, investors, and market pilots.”
What to expect next
During the one-week bootcamp which commenced on Sunday 23rd Noevmber 2025, teams focus on sharpening their products, improving UX, clarifying business models, and strengthening their pitch skills. They participate in mentor-led sessions, daily check-ins, and hands-on workshops covering product development, storytelling, and go-to-market planning.
At the Grand Finale, each campus presents its top three teams, after which the strongest teams advance into incubation, corporate pilot opportunities, and investor pipelines.
Readers can revisit the launch story here.
About the Enugu Campus Hackathon
The Enugu Campus Hackathon is a state-backed innovation program of the Enugu SME Center/Office of Digital Economy (Enugu MSME & Startup Agency). The initiative accelerates student and youth innovation across six campuses and a non-campus track. It offers grants, mentorship, and a pathway into incubation and market access, supported by partners Genesys Tech Hub, The Garage, and Capitis Global Ventures.
Media contact: info@enugucampushackathon.ng | Website: enugucampushackathon.ng
