Abuja: Some young innovators have won top awards in drone and robotics competitions at the 2026 Abuja Hackathon, showcasing technological solutions designed to solve societal challenges. Some of the innovators spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of the competition on Saturday in Abuja. They said the innovations could be developed as practical solutions to addressing some of the country’s needs.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Fatima Kalembe, a member of the Team Alpha Flyers, who developed a drone project, said the project highlighted the potential of Nigerian youths to collaborate and create innovative solutions. She noted that the drone demonstration showed how technology could move beyond recreation to solving real-life problems, emphasizing the capability of Nigerian youth to address societal issues through collaboration and innovation.
Another team member from Alpha Flyers, Karma Mohammed, shared that the team trained for only two weeks before the competition but remained committed to excellence. Mohammed expressed excitement over the recognition and pledged improved performance in future competitions.
Emmanuel Offornagoro, a member of the Everest team in the Robotic Senior Category Challenge, stated that the success of their project was driven by collaboration among team members who combined ideas to develop an effective robotic solution. Offornagoro explained that the robot was designed to move objects representing people to safer locations during emergencies, showcasing the practical applications of their innovation.
Similarly, Mary-Claret Onyenwe, a member of Team Spark, who also clinched the best in the Robotic Senior Category Challenge, commended the teamwork displayed in actualizing the win. Onyenwe explained that their project, the Rescue Naija robot, was programmed as a rescue prototype capable of assisting security and emergency operations. She emphasized the potential of their innovation to address national challenges, particularly insecurity, in both rural and urban environments.
Earlier, the Convener of the event, Abba Saidu, highlighted the initiative’s aim to empower Nigerian youths with practical technological skills needed to develop solutions tailored to the country’s challenges. Saidu explained that the Hackathon was designed to promote collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and innovation among young people. He emphasized the importance of nurturing home-grown innovation to address local realities effectively.
Saidu further noted the significance of robotics and coding in the future of economies, stressing the need for young people to acquire hands-on skills, design-thinking competence, and communication abilities to remain relevant in the future workforce. He highlighted the changing global learning landscape due to the emergence of artificial intelligence, making practical skills and problem-solving abilities increasingly important.
NAN reports that other categories of awards were also given to various innovators who demonstrated outstanding creativity, coding, and piloting skills during the competition. The theme of the 2026 edition of Abuja Hackathon is ‘Code, Create, Innovate: Building a Smarter Nigeria.’