Interswitch Awards ₦10 Million to Winners of Technovation 4.0 Hackathon

 

L-R; Taiwo Ajagunsegun and Collins Jatto, 1st runners-up; Kelvin Orhungul, Winner; Adaobi Okerekeocha, Chief Innovation Officer, Interswitch; Joseph Ifekwe and Godspower Uyanga, Winners; Victor Onuchukwu and Dauda Dauda, 2nd runners-up of the Interswitch Technovation 4.0 Hackathon which held recently at the Interswitch Innovation Lab in Lagos.

 

 

Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, has successfully concluded the Grand Finale of its Technovation 4.0 Hackathon, awarding a total of ₦10 million in cash prizes to top teams whose innovative solutions stood out during the rigorous multiple phases of the competition.

 

 

The one-day finale event, which took place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Interswitch Innovation Lab and Co-Working Space, brought together employees, senior leaders, judges, and key stakeholders to celebrate months of ideation, experimentation, and product development under the theme ‘The Wicked Hackathon’.

 

 

At the close of the highly competitive session, Team Quickteller Fashion emerged as the overall winner, securing the grand prize of ₦4,000,000 for a solution that impressed judges with its originality, practicality, and strong strategic relevance. Team Kampe claimed second position with ₦2,500,000, while Team Stable placed third, receiving ₦1,500,000. Up to N300,000 worth of cash prizes were also awarded to the 4th, 5th and 6th qualifying teams.

 

 

Now in its fourth edition, Technovation has evolved into a flagship internal innovation platform for Interswitch since its inception in 2022, empowering employees to tackle complex organisational and industry challenges by developing scalable technology solutions aligned with the company’s strategic priorities.

 

 

Speaking at the event, Adaobi Okerekeocha, Chief Innovation Officer, Interswitch, highlighted the significance of the programme in strengthening the company’s innovation culture.

“Technovation continues to reflect who we are as an organisation, bold, forward-thinking, and deeply committed to building impactful solutions from within. Over the years, we have seen ideas conceived during this programme evolve into meaningful capabilities that strengthen our ecosystem. The passion, discipline, and ingenuity demonstrated by our teams this year reinforce our belief in the power of African innovation to solve complex challenges and shape the future of technology on the continent,” Eromosele said.

 

 

For nine months, cross-functional teams from across the organisation collaborated to conceptualise, validate, develop, and refine solutions, moving from raw ideas to minimum viable products (MVPs) with ready-to-market potential and deployment across the business.

 

 

The atmosphere at the Grand Finale reflected that of preparation and anticipation as the top 9 teams presented their innovations through live demonstrations and detailed pitches, fielding questions from a distinguished panel of judges before the top 3 winners were selected. Each presentation highlighted rigorous validation processes, thoughtful market considerations, and a strong emphasis on measurable impact.

 

 

 

While many of the solutions remain confidential due to their strategic relevance, the diversity and depth of ideas showcased during the Hackathon’s Grand Finale underscored the organisation’s growing culture of intrapreneurship and structured innovation. The projects illustrated how technology-driven thinking can unlock efficiencies, strengthen operational capabilities, and open new pathways for growth across the digital payments and commerce ecosystem.

 

 

Beyond the competition itself, Technovation reinforces Interswitch’s long-term commitment to nurturing internal talent, encouraging experimentation, and creating a structured pipeline for transforming ideas into tangible business outcomes. As the fourth edition draws to a close, the programme stands as a testament to Interswitch’s ongoing investment in people, innovation, and the future of Africa’s digital economy.