Wema Bank’s Hackaholics 7.0 Opens Applications for Nigeria’s Next Tech Pioneers
Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous financial institution and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has announced the launch of the 7th edition of its flagship innovation programme, Hackaholics. The announcement was made during an official press conference held on July 1, 2026, at the Wema Bank Head Office in Lagos.
Since its inception in 2019, Hackaholics has been a youth and technology-focused initiative dedicated to nurturing Africa’s brightest young innovators. It serves as a dynamic platform for young Africans with groundbreaking, tech-driven ideas and products to bring their visions to life. Over the years, Hackaholics has identified thousands of innovative solutions, supported more than 10,000 startups, engaged 50,000 participants, developed over 100 solutions from scratch, and awarded a total of $500 million in grant prizes to dozens of winners whose solutions have made significant impacts in their communities. With the launch of Hackaholics 7.0, Wema Bank is poised to deliver its most ambitious edition yet.
Under the theme “Powering Possibilities”, Hackaholics 7.0 will commence with an open call for applications, inviting young Africans with creative, tech-driven solutions across seven verticals: Financial Inclusion, Healthcare, Digital Transformation, Education, Sustainability, Social Impact, and the Future of Work. Applications can be submitted via the dedicated portal at hackaholics.wemabank.com, under one of three tracks: The Startup Pitch Competition, Hackathon, and the newly introduced Social Impact track. Following the application phase, Hackaholics 7.0 will embark on a national tour, visiting ten pitch centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These centres will serve as hubs for regional innovators to pitch their solutions, with top performers advancing to the grand finale where the ultimate winners will be crowned.
Speaking on the inspiration behind Hackaholics’ remarkable seven-year journey, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, emphasised the bank’s dedication to fostering innovation and empowering youth. “At Wema Bank, we believe that institutions have a responsibility that extends beyond providing commercial services. We have a responsibility to create meaningful opportunities, provide the right resources, enable innovation to thrive, and support the ecosystems that will shape today’s youth as well as tomorrow’s economy. This sense of responsibility is what has driven the evolution of Hackaholics from inception till date. With Hackaholics, we have, and we are investing in the next generation of innovators, inspiring innovation that will impact lives, strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, and giving youth a platform to make meaningful use of their creativity; and the numbers continue to speak volumes.”
With the application window now open, Tajudeen Bakare, Wema Bank’s Divisional Executive, Business Support, added: “As we launch Hackaholics 7.0 today, we are opening up a new phase of opportunities for more Nigerian youth to challenge themselves, explore their creativity, and become startup founders. I encourage every young Nigerian with a passion for innovation to leverage the opportunity that we have carefully curated through Hackaholics and get ahead of the curve in today’s dynamic work landscape. Together, we can continue to build an ecosystem where innovation flourishes, opportunities expand, and young people are empowered to create solutions that shape the future.”
Hackaholics 7.0 is completely free and open to all Nigerian youth with innovative ideas and solutions ready to pitch. Interested startups and innovators can apply at hackaholics.wemabank.com. All updates on the Hackaholics 7.0 journey will be shared via the bank’s website (@wemabank.com) and its social media platforms (@wemabank and @alat_ng).