The Swedish group Ericsson announced on Friday 13 February 2026, the launch in Nigeria of the “Connect NextGen Hackathon” program, in partnership with the federal government, represented by the Office of vice president. The initiative aims to mobilize local talent around development of innovative applications and services in sectors priorities such as digital inclusion, smart cities, agritech and sustainability.

Open to innovators, start-ups and students, the Hackathon will last for a period of four months beginning on 11 February 2026. The program combines practical mentoring, technical training and a eight-week acceleration program focused on proven technologies strategic, in particular 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable solutions.

According to Majda Lahlou Kassi, director of Ericsson for Western and Southern Africa, the objective is to consolidate the ecosystem regional digital. “Through initiatives focused on the development of skills, alongside our Ericsson Educate program for policy makers and regulators, we want to contribute to strengthening the digital ecosystem,” she said.

Beyond supporting young talent, the program intends also target public decision-makers and policy makers. In this framework, a specific “Ericsson Educate” module will be deployed for regulators and ICT authorities in order to promote the development of frameworks regulations conducive to digital transformation.

For the Nigerian authorities, the initiative responds to a double imperative: to boost local innovation in a country characterized by a high proportion of young people and support the national agenda of digital transformation. The most successful teams will benefit from a access to complementary incubation and acceleration systems, opening the way to funding opportunities and to an expansion of their network professional.

with “Connect NextGen Hackathon”, Ericsson is thus part of a long-term investment strategy in skills and digital infrastructures in Nigeria, by focusing on local innovation as a driver of sustainable growth.