Sora wins NCC’s 4th Hackathon Live Show, clinches ₦3m‎

Twenty teams. Two days. One winner: an SMS-based emergency response tool has just landed Nigeria’s top telecoms innovation prize.
‎
‎Sora, an SMS and USSD-based platform designed to widen access to Nigeria’s emergency response services, has emerged winner of the 4th edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Hackathon Live Show, Confiance News has confirmed.
‎
‎The two-day event, themed “Technology Without Barriers,” held on August 26 and 27, 2026, at the NCC Annex Office in Mbora, Abuja, and brought together 20 teams of innovators, developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and persons with disabilities competing to build practical tech solutions for accessibility and digital inclusion, Confiance News gathered.
‎
‎Sora, led by chief executive Abdulhaqq Somoye, walked away with the ₦3 million grand prize, while Clear Signal and IKOR placed second and third respectively, Confiance News learned. All 20 participating teams reportedly received consolation prizes and certificates of participation.
‎
‎Why the theme matters
‎
‎This year’s theme built on the NCC’s push to close Nigeria’s digital divide for persons with disabilities (PwDs) and underserved rural communities, Confiance News gathered. Selected focus areas for entries reportedly included AI-powered sign language recognition, speech-to-text tools built for low-bandwidth networks, image-to-voice navigation aids, and accessible USSD protocols for telecom consumers.
‎
‎Among the standout ideas sighted by Confiance News was ADITUS, a proposed USSD and SMS gateway into the NCC’s 112 emergency line for Nigerians unable to place voice calls, an entry that mirrors the same accessibility logic behind Sora’s winning pitch.
‎
‎NCC leadership speaks on inclusion
‎
‎Speaking at the event, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr Aminu Maida, said the Commission remained committed to ensuring persons with disabilities and underserved communities could participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s digital economy, according to remarks obtained by Confiance News. He noted that technology, done right, should remove barriers rather than create new ones.
‎
‎Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, who represented Maida at the opening ceremony, described Nigeria’s young innovators as the country’s most valuable untapped resource, framing their ideas as worth more to the nation’s future than any buried mineral wealth, Confiance News learned.
‎
‎Helen Obi, Director of the NCC’s Digital Economy Department, said the hackathon’s core objectives centred on promoting inclusive digital services, encouraging homegrown entrepreneurship, and strengthening the local innovation ecosystem through structured pathways for young talent, Confiance News gathered.
‎
‎Industry partners back the push
‎
‎MTN Nigeria was also present at the event, with a company representative commending the hackathon’s disability-focused mandate and reaffirming the telco’s support for inclusive innovation and startups, Confiance News obtained.
‎
‎Background
‎
‎This is the fourth run of the NCC’s Hackathon Live Show, an initiative the Commission has increasingly positioned as a pipeline for homegrown assistive technology. Earlier editions have similarly paired regulatory backing with startup-style pitching, mentorship, and cash incentives designed to push winning ideas toward commercialisation and pilot deployment, Confiance News understands. Eligible applicants for this year’s edition were required to be Nigerians aged 18 to 35 resident in the Federal Capital Territory, with the Commission actively encouraging PwD-inclusive teams to apply.