Their victory followed several weeks of state-level contests across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti. Each state had selected its best project from participants in the third cohort of the 3MTT programme—an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy aimed at equipping young Nigerians with digital skills and fostering scalable, homegrown technology solutions. The regional round brought those state winners together for a final demonstration of both technical capability and entrepreneurial readiness.
A Push Toward Homegrown Innovation
The hackathon underscores the 3MTT programme’s broader goal: building a robust talent pipeline while enabling young developers to create solutions that speak directly to Nigeria’s social and economic needs. Judges evaluated the teams on innovation, feasibility, sustainability, user impact and scalability.
NEVO took the top spot after a deliberation process led by six judges who assessed the viability and market potential of all submissions.
Meet the Winning Innovations
1st Place – NEVO (Lagos)
NEVO is built as an AI-driven personalised learning platform for children with dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent learning patterns. It identifies each learner’s cognitive tendencies and tailors educational content accordingly. The system features diagnostic assessments, visual learning aids, structured lesson paths, teacher dashboards and parental analytics that track progress and behavioural shifts over time.
Pitch presenter Lydia Solomon explained that the project grew out of research showing that many neurodivergent children are mislabelled in schools due to limited understanding of their unique learning styles.
“These children are not slow; they just don’t learn the same way other children do,” she said. “NEVO learns the child as the child learns, and the curriculum updates automatically as progress is made.”
2nd Place – Microbiz (Oyo State)
Taking the first runner-up position and ₦300,000 ($204), Microbiz is a financial record digitalisation platform designed to help MSMEs track sales, expenses and invoices. It evaluates credit readiness and gives microfinance institutions visibility into business records without manual paperwork.
Presenter Clement Okelola noted that poor documentation remains a major barrier to financing for small businesses.
“Many MSMEs are shut out of credit and grants because they lack structured financial data,” he said. “Microbiz fills that gap and prepares them for real financial opportunities.”
3rd Place – Fincoach (Ondo State)
Fincoach secured ₦200,000 ($136) as second runner-up with a gamified financial literacy app delivered through local languages and audio-based lessons. Using dialect voiceovers and AI, it teaches budgeting, saving, investing and financial discipline—skills its creators say many young adults and low-income earners struggle with.
Presenter Goddey Iyanuoluwa described it as a “friendly entry point” into financial learning for people who may find conventional formats intimidating.
Other Notable Presentations
Several other state teams showcased solutions targeting mental health, environmental sustainability and enterprise operations:
-
MindBuddy (Ekiti State): An AI-supported mental health toolkit featuring chatbots, mood tracking, guided breathing routines and emergency contact alerts. The concept was inspired by the team lead’s experience coping with severe anxiety after personal loss.
-
Ecocycle (Ogun State): A tech-enabled waste recycling system using AI and data analytics to classify waste and support recycling networks across communities. The solution aims to reduce the growing waste burden on Ogun’s streets and promote sustainable disposal habits.
-
InventoryPro (Osun State): A multi-branch inventory management solution offering real-time tracking, AI-based low-stock notifications, demand forecasting and batch-level profit analysis.
Presenter Okunola Gold highlighted that many existing tools fail to calculate profit based on batch performance—a gap InventoryPro is designed to close.
A Regional Showcase of Emerging Talent
The South-West regional hackathon closed with a celebration of not just the winners but the overall potential of Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem. For 3MTT organisers, the event represents the promise of a talent pipeline capable of shaping market-ready digital tools—many of which may soon scale beyond the region.
NEVO’s win demonstrates what is possible when innovation meets social impact, and the broader showcase reflects the rising wave of young builders tackling real challenges with technology.