The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged telecom operators, investors and other industry stakeholders to support technology solutions designed to improve digital access for persons with disabilities.

The commission made the call on Thursday at the grand finale of the fourth edition of the NCC Hackathon Live Show in Abuja, themed “Technology Without Barriers: Innovative Solutions for Persons with Disabilities.”

The two-day competition began on Wednesday with 20 contestants, with five: Sora, Gyronics, Aditus, Clear Signal and Ikor, advancing to the grand finale.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the commission had provided the platform for innovators but needed the support of the private sector to move the solutions from prototypes to products capable of reaching users across the country.

Represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama,
Maida described the young innovators as an important resource for Nigeria’s economic future, saying the country’s next major source of wealth could come from the creativity and skills of its people.

“Nigeria’s next major oil field is not buried in our soil or offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, it’s here, it’s in this room today,” he said.

He said the hackathon was aimed at tackling barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in the digital economy.

Among the challenges, he identified the high cost of devices, digital platforms designed without accessibility in mind, gaps in digital skills and the limited availability of affordable assistive technologies.

Maida said estimates cited by the World Bank put the number of Nigerians experiencing at least one form of disability at about 25 million, with approximately 3.6 million facing significant difficulties in functioning.

He added that the International Labour Organisation had reported that persons with disabilities were twice as likely to be outside employment, education or training.

According to him, such exclusion could extend beyond access to the internet to education, jobs, financial services, healthcare and participation in society as more services move online.

He said the solutions showcased at the hackathon demonstrated the potential of Nigerian innovators to develop technologies suited to local realities, including AI-powered speech-to-text tools, voice-enabled public platforms, accessible USSD services and inclusive mobile applications.

The EVC urged the contestants to focus on developing their prototypes into viable products and businesses.

“We encourage you to take these ideas from prototypes to products and from product to scale and ultimately from technology to build an impact in the lives of people living with disabilities,” he said.

Maida also appealed to venture capitalists, telecom operators and other stakeholders to invest in the innovations.

“The NCC has created the launchpad but commercial viability and nationwide adoption requires your support to scale,” he said.

He urged potential partners to see the innovators not simply as contestants but as future founders, business partners and technology vendors.

The Director of the NCC’s Digital Economy Department, Helen Obi, said the commission was already beginning to see the outcome of its investment in the hackathon.

Obi said contestants had been assured that the programme would not end with the competition but would expose their innovations to organisations and individuals capable of helping them scale.

She disclosed that the commission was encouraged by opportunities offered by some stakeholders and said it would follow up to determine how such opportunities could translate into concrete support for the innovators.

Obi also called for increased funding for young founders whose solutions could contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Representing MTN Nigeria, its Senior Manager, Strategy and Innovation, Chinyelu Chikwendu, commended the NCC for placing persons with disabilities at the centre of the innovation challenge.

She said the commission had gone beyond its regulatory role by actively supporting the growth of the technology ecosystem.

Chikwendu said MTN was also committed to supporting persons with disabilities, including through its employment practices and technology initiatives.

She added that MTN was transforming from a traditional telecommunications company into a digitally driven business and was interested in helping start-ups develop alongside its own growth.

“We are intentional about seeing start-up organisations grow with us and that’s why we are here today in this programme,” she said.

At the end of the competition, Sora emerged winner and received N3 million, while Clear Signal placed second with N2 million. Ikor finished as the second runner-up with N1 million.

Sora developed an inclusive job-matching and adaptive skills platform designed specifically for verified persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

The platform seeks to connect qualified persons with disabilities with government agencies and inclusive employers, while also providing learning opportunities adapted to different forms of disability.

Its founder, Abdulhaqq Motolani Somoye, said the idea was partly inspired by the Federal Government’s policy requiring government organisations to allocate at least five per cent of their workforce to persons with disabilities.

He said many conventional recruitment platforms were not sufficiently inclusive, prompting the development of Sora as a dedicated platform for persons with disabilities.

Somoye said the team had engaged the Joint National Associations of Persons with Disabilities and was working towards a partnership to verify persons with disabilities in Abuja and subsequently across Nigeria.

Clear Signal, which came second, presented a notification platform designed to keep blind, visually impaired and deaf electricity consumers informed about developments concerning their power supply.

Ikor, which finished third, developed an assistive AI voice-dictation and agentic writing solution aimed at addressing barriers linked to expensive hardware, high internet connectivity requirements and physical typing.

The NCC said the hackathon was part of its wider efforts to promote indigenous innovation, digital inclusion and the development of affordable technology solutions that address real challenges facing Nigerians.