The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon will position Nigeria as a global supplier of digital solutions while creating jobs in the technology sector.
He explained that the four-month programme is one of the key operationalization phases of the Ericsson and the Nigerian Government’s MoU to collaborate on digitally upskilling Nigerian youths, policymakers and public sector decision makers in modern technologies. According to him, the initiative will build on Nigeria’s rise as Africa’s top hub for unicorns and global tech talent.
Speaking on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja during the launch of the initiative, the Vice President, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s job creation agenda by harnessing the country’s youth population for the digital economy.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has placed job creation at the very top of his priorities. So, this hackathon is not an isolated event; it is a continuation of a national strategy,” he said.
“The Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon is designed to deepen this reality—to make Nigeria a supplier of solutions to the world. A brilliant line of code written in Abuja can power a system in Stockholm; a solution imagined in Kano can transform a farm in Kenya,” he added.
Senator Shettima explained that the hackathon will empower young talents, startups, and university students to build transformative solutions using 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT, and sustainable technologies.
“The current wave of the Industrial Revolution—powered by 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT and sustainable technologies—is not a tide we can afford to watch from the shore. History is unkind to nations that choose the backseat in moments of transformation,” he said.
The Vice President observed that Nigeria’s greatest asset lies in its human capital rather than natural resources, noting that the country’s demographic dividend tilts decisively in favour of youth. He said this demographic advantage must be properly harnessed to drive economic growth and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy.
On Ericsson’s role in the initiative, the Vice President said the partnership has reinforced the tech giant’s “position as a strategic enabler of Nigeria’s digital transformation goals, providing real-world applications of 5G, IoT platforms, edge computing and AI in networks.”
He noted that Ericsson’s commitment to sustainability, energy-efficient networks, and technology for good aligns with Nigeria’s national ambitions to build a modern and inclusive digital economy.
In his remarks, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the launch demonstrates that agreements, MOUs and expressions of interest would not remain on paper but would be translated into practical activities and investments running into multi-billion dollars.
He stated that the event is proof that such agreements are being operationalised through projects that will have measurable impact on the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The Minister pledged the support of the Ministry to the hackathon in various ways, including commercialisation, competition, research and invention outcomes. He said the Ministry is ready to work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure that innovative ideas emerging from the hackathon are supported and scaled.
Also speaking at the event, the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, described Nigeria as a country of talent, creativity and ambition. She noted that Nigeria’s digital sector is one of the most dynamic and promising innovation ecosystems on the African continent.
She explained that the launch is a powerful illustration of what public-private collaboration can achieve in driving innovation and skills development.
“Through the Hackathon and the Educate Program, Ericsson, a private company proudly rooted in Sweden, is partnering with Nigerian institutions to equip young people, students and civil servants with the skills needed to navigate and lead in the fast-changing global economy,” she said.
“Nigeria’s partnership with Ericsson demonstrates how the Swedish private sector contributes to national development priorities by combining technological leadership with long-term commitment and strong local collaboration. We are proud that the Swedish technology and Swedish values of openness and partnership and trust contribute to Nigeria’s development ambitions,” the envoy stated.
On his part, the Country Manager of Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Peter Olusoji Ogundele, said the initiatives represent a concrete step in delivering on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024 between Ericsson and the Federal Government to boost innovation, skills development and the digital economy.
According to him, Ericsson’s over 40 years of operations in Nigeria and nearly 150 years globally have helped build trusted networks, from fixed telephony and GSM to broadband, 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
He explained that the AXN National Hackathon is designed to unlock the creativity of Nigerian youths by equipping them with world-class tools to solve real national challenges in areas such as food security, smart cities and digital inclusion.
On the AXN Educate Programme for Policymakers, Mr. Ogundele said it is tailored to enhance the digital competence of government officials, enabling evidence-based policymaking and stronger governance in the digital economy.
The Ericsson Nigeria boss reaffirmed the company’s commitment to partnering with the President Bola Tinubu administration to advance its digital transformation agenda, empower youths and policymakers, and build a digital economy that leaves no one behind.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the President on ICT Policy, Dr. Salihu Ibrahim Dasuki, said Nigeria and Sweden have sustained private sector partnership for quite some time.
He said the launch is also in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that it will not only provide training but would also offer employment opportunities to the youth.
On her part, the Special Assistant to the President on Project Support, Suhdah Ahmed, said the launch shows how innovation ecosystems are built by connecting knowledge, capital, policy and market, adding that such collaboration is key to sustainable digital growth.
