In a groundbreaking step to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through digital innovation and regulatory technology, Nigeria has announced the launch of its first AfCFTA Hackathon with a grand prize of ₦20 million. The initiative aims to empower Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs while accelerating the adoption of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (DTP).

Spearheaded by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, under the leadership of National Coordinator Olusegun Awolowo, the Hackathon will be a core feature of the Science of Trade (SOT) Conference 2025, scheduled for May 1–3, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial and digital innovation capital.

The tech-driven challenge is organized by Cherith-Code Concept Ltd, in collaboration with key partners including Amazon Web Services, Ascend Studios Foundation, GFA Technologies, Real Sources Africa (Kenya), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

According to Mr. Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Director of the Hackathon Project, the initiative supports the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and aims to harness Nigeria’s youthful, tech-savvy population to develop Regulatory Technology (RegTech) and FinTech solutions that power cross-border e-commerce, digital payments, and intra-African trade.

“The AfCFTA Hackathon is more than just a competition—it’s a catalyst for digital empowerment and economic transformation through compliance-driven innovation,” Olutayo noted.

This first-of-its-kind digital innovation event on the continent is aligned with Africa’s regulatory framework evolution, promoting regulatory harmonization, compliance automation, and public-private collaboration to build a secure and inclusive digital trade ecosystem.

Dr. Inya Lawal, Convener of the SOT Conference, emphasized the initiative’s transformative power, stating, “The Hackathon is a strategic leap forward in fostering data privacy, AI-powered trade solutions, and digital financial inclusion across Africa.”

Building on the success of prior workshops themed “Preparedness for AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol” held in Lagos and Abuja in 2024, this event will also feature the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, as a Special Guest, keynote speaker, and Hackathon Jury member.

The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office is calling on all innovators, developers, policy experts, and trade professionals to participate in this historic event. By driving RegTech innovations and fostering compliance intelligence, the AfCFTA Hackathon positions Nigeria as a continental leader in digital trade transformation and economic resilience.