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VISION

NITHUB Innovation Fair Hackathon 2026

INTELLIGENT MONEY FOR EVERYONEReimagining financial inclusion through AI and BMONI.BMONI / Hackathon sponsor and innovation partner

BuildWhatMatters.

Build a testable financial experience with meaningful AI and a functional BMONI sandbox integration.

Enter the buildExplore the challenge ↓

Applications / 21–24 July 2026

SCAN / 001AI + BMONI / REQUIRED

How should a trusted financial experience work for someone currently left out?

PROBLEM→AI→BMONI
SANDBOX / TEST DATA ONLY
01The brief

Design a better way to interact with money.

Choose the audience and financial challenge that matter most. These six directions are examples—not separate tracks. Every entry answers the same challenge with AI and BMONI.

01Money assistants

Explain spending, savings, or financial choices in clear, useful language.

02Safer transactions

Improve payments, transfers, and transaction decisions for people and small businesses.

03Cross-border money

Support income, invoices, currencies, and family support across borders.

04Fraud awareness

Surface unusual activity and help people make safer transaction choices.

05Accessible finance

Design for low literacy, disabilities, and language barriers.

06Merchant decisions

Help informal merchants and small businesses understand cash flow and act with confidence.

02Format

Two build days. One overnight. One day to pitch.

BUILD / DAY 01–02

29–30 July

Start at the fair venue, move to NITHUB at 5:00 p.m. on Day 1, build overnight, return on Day 2, and submit by 5:00 p.m.

PITCH + JUDGE / DAY 03

31 July

Eligible entries pitch in the hackathon room. The current plan advances the top three entries to the main stage before winners are announced.

01

Apply

Enter individually or with a self-formed team of two or three.

02

Confirm

Selected entrants confirm attendance, overnight participation, and final team membership.

03

Brief

Attend the compulsory rules and BMONI API integration briefing on 27 July.

04

Build

Start at the fair venue on 29 July, move to NITHUB at 5:00 p.m., and continue overnight.

05

Submit

Deliver the prototype and complete evidence by 5:00 p.m. on 30 July.

06

Pitch

Remain available on 31 July for pitches, final judging, the main-stage showcase, and winners.

03Entry check

Can you enter the build?

[PASS]You are at least 18 years old.

[PASS]You will compete individually or in a self-formed team of two or three.

[PRIORITY]Students and recent graduates receive priority; interdisciplinary participation is encouraged.

[REQUIRED]You can attend the compulsory briefing, overnight build, deadline, and Day 3 pitches.

[REQUIRED]Your testable prototype will use meaningful AI and a functional BMONI sandbox integration.

[DECLARE]You will disclose pre-existing work, models, code, data, APIs, and other third-party tools.

QUICK CHECK / 05 LINESLOCAL ONLY
01Are you at least 18 years old?
02Will you compete individually or in a self-formed team of two or three?
03Can you attend the compulsory briefing, overnight build, 5:00 p.m. deadline, and Day 3 pitches?
04Will your testable prototype use meaningful AI and a functional BMONI sandbox integration?
05Will you use test data only and disclose pre-existing work and third-party tools?

Answer all five lines to generate a preliminary check.

04Challenge

One grand challenge. Several ways to prove value.

OFFICIAL CHALLENGE / AI + BMONI

How might AI and BMONI’s financial infrastructure be used to create better and more inclusive ways for people to interact with money?

Qualifying entries must present a working or testable prototype, create clear user value with AI, and demonstrate a functional BMONI sandbox integration. Explain the relevant endpoints and data flow, use test data only, and show responsible privacy and financial-safety practices.

TOTAL PRIZE POOL₦1,000,000
05Project plan

The route from application to the fair floor.

APPLICATIONJUL 21

Launch

Challenge, rules, prize information, and application flow go live.

The July 24 application closing time has not been published. Do not assume a cutoff beyond the confirmed date.

06Scoring

Build for what the judges can verify.

A polished pitch cannot compensate for weak financial-inclusion value, decorative AI, or a BMONI integration that does not work.

Each eligible project should be scored by at least two reviewers.

Reviewers and judges must declare conflicts of interest.

Ties: financial-inclusion impact → prototype quality → BMONI API integration.

01

User problem + financial-inclusion value

Does the entry understand a specific user and create meaningful financial-inclusion value?

20%
02

BMONI API integration

Is the functional sandbox integration important to the product journey?

15%
03

Useful + responsible AI

Does AI create clear user value, with its role explained responsibly?

15%
04

Working prototype + technical quality

Can reviewers test the central experience and verify the technical implementation?

20%
05

Impact, feasibility + adoption

Could the solution deliver impact and move credibly toward adoption?

15%
06

Privacy, security + accessibility

Does the entry handle data, financial safety, access, and inclusion responsibly?

10%
07

Pitch, demonstration + answers

Can the entrant explain and demonstrate the work clearly and honestly?

5%
07Field manual

Make the work legible. Make the claims honest.

01

Build the judged work here

Pre-existing ideas and general-purpose code may be used when declared, but the judged solution and BMONI integration must be built during the official build period.

02

Make AI useful

The AI component must create clear user value and be explained well enough for reviewers to understand its role.

03

Make BMONI functional

Demonstrate a meaningful sandbox integration and explain the relevant endpoints and data flow.

04

Use test data only

Never use live funds or real personal financial data during the hackathon.

05

Protect people

Demonstrate responsible data, privacy, security, accessibility, and financial-safety practices.

06

Declare every dependency

Name AI models, code, datasets, APIs, open-source tools, and pre-existing assets. Plagiarism, unsafe data use, or false claims may disqualify an entry.

07

Compete independently

Enter individually or in a self-formed team of two or three. NITHUB will not match entrants into teams.

08

Keep the prizes fair

Existing commercial products are not eligible for the main prizes; organizers, reviewers, judges, and event staff cannot compete.

09

Attend the full programme

The 27 July briefing, overnight build, 5:00 p.m. Day 2 submission, and Day 3 pitch availability are compulsory for selected entrants.

10

Follow venue controls

Comply with the code of conduct, overnight-access rules, and published venue-safety instructions.

08Questions

Clear before you commit.

Yes. Individuals may compete on their own. Teams must be self-formed and contain two or three people; NITHUB will not provide team matching.

09Enter

Move your build entry into the organizer register.

PRIVATE REGISTRATION: Submit individually or include one or two authorized teammates. Drafts remain on this device until a successful submission is written to the private organizer Google Sheet.

BUILD ENTRY TERMINAL / GOOGLE SHEETSDraft ready

STEP 01 / 07

Applicant

Tell us who is responsible for this entry.

PROBLEM → PROTOTYPE → PROOF → VENTURE

What will pass through the Beam with your name on it?

OFFICIAL WHATSAPP LINK / Awaiting organizer publication