Team Block X from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has emerged winner of the Habari Pay Squad Hackathon 3.0 held at the GT Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, over the weekend. They went home with a N5 million prize.

‘Take on Squad’ Hackathon 3.0 reaffirmed commitment to fostering innovation, empowering talent, and supporting development of technology-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across Africa.

Now in its third edition, the hackathon brings together developers, designers and entrepreneurs across the nation in a collaborative environment to build practical solutions across key sectors, including financial services, healthcare, commerce and digital inclusion.

Themed: “Smart systems: The intelligent economy,” participants were challenged to design and build intelligent, data-driven solutions that transform how communities engage with money.

Fielding questions from journalists, Managing Director of Habari Pay, Eduophon Japhet, disclosed: “We opened an application over a month ago. As long as you are an undergraduate in a Nigerian university, you are eligible to apply. Once we receive the applications, we look at the quality of teams and a particular skill set in each of those teams.

“We had over 1,600 submissions and we selected over 600. But today, a bit over 500 were able to come. I’m impressed by the turnout.”

Speaking further, she added: “Today’s dynamic, digitally driven world demands continuous innovation, which is shaping how economies grow, how businesses scale, and how societies evolve. We are deliberately investing in the ideas and talent that will define the future. Our objective is not simply to encourage innovation, but to enable its translation into scalable solutions that deliver real and measurable impact. This reflects GTCO’s role as a financial services platform that connects capital, capability, and creativity to drive sustainable progress.”

She added, “The social coding event remains a cornerstone of HabariPay’s mission to foster creativity and problem-solving among emerging tech talents. Competing teams will leverage Squad’s advanced APIs to create scalable digital tools that address everyday challenges faced by businesses and individuals.”

In his speech, Group Chief Executive Officer, GTCO Plc, Segun Agbaje, noted: “You are not just among the brightest minds in Nigeria; you are among the finest talents anywhere in the world. If this hackathon were held in any country, your skills, ideas, and determination would still earn you a place here. This hackathon is a platform for those quiet but brilliant minds to show the world what they are capable of.”