FG, Ericsson launch ‘Connect NextGen’ hackathon to supercharge Nigerian youth with AI, 5G skills
Vice President Kashim Shettima
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Federal Government of Nigeria, partnering with telecom giant Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), will launch the ‘Connect NextGen’ Innovation Hackathon tomorrow, February 11, 2026, at the Presidential Villa.
This four-month program, overseen by the Office of the Vice President, targets upskilling Nigerian youths in cutting-edge technologies like 5G, IoT, cloud, AI, and sustainable tech.
Announced in a statement Tuesday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), the initiative stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Ericsson.
It aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasising digital economy growth, technology integration, and education.
The program features hands-on mentoring, an eight-week acceleration phase, and practical projects in areas like digital inclusion, smart cities, agritech, and sustainability.
Top teams will access accelerators and incubation support.
Alongside the hackathon, Ericsson Educate will roll out training for ICT policymakers to bolster Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“The hackathon combines hands-on mentoring, an eight-week acceleration phase, and practical learning across priority technologies,” the Office of the Vice President stated, inviting university students, startups, and young innovators nationwide to apply.
Ericsson’s Head for West and Southern Africa, Majda Lahlou Kassi, highlighted the partnership’s goals, “At Ericsson, we are proud to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria to support the country’s digital transformation journey. Through initiatives focused on skills development, alongside our Ericsson Educate programme for policymakers and regulators, we aim to contribute to a stronger digital ecosystem.”
Registrations open February 11 and close March 10 at sonhackathon.techrevolutionafrica.org.
