Eko Innovation Center recently hosted the grand finale of SecureHack 1.0, a hackathon that aimed to drive tech innovations across three thematic areas: biosecurity, physical security, and cyber security. The competition, which was launched in February, received over 400 registrations from participants, forming 100+ teams from 62 locations in four countries and across two continents. The hackathon brought together innovators and security experts in the fields of cyber, biology, and physical security to provide a challenging and engaging learning experience that raises awareness about security and drives innovation towards providing solutions to these challenges.
The event was attended by innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, security professionals, and others who joined the event virtually from across the world. The event’s keynote address, presented by Oluwasolape Akinde, Head of IT GRC & DPO at Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited, focused on the topic of “Strengthening Cyber Security in Africa’s Emerging Digital Economies". In his presentation, he discussed the challenges facing cyber security in Africa’s emerging digital economy, best practices for strengthening cyber security, collaborations, and partnerships. Another security expert, Imeh Udofia, gave a presentation on cyber-physical security, discussing cyber-physical attacks as an emerging threat, preventive controls, layers of security, and components of physical security, among others.
The highlight of the event was the pitching of ideas by the finalists of the hackathon. The teams were split into four groups and required to work together for three weeks, brainstorming and ideating new concepts based on their focus areas, which include cybersecurity, physical security, and biosecurity. During the entire process, 31 selection jurors selected the top 10 innovative solutions from the 26 teams that pitched. The teams were subjected to coaching and mentorship for two weeks.
Team Healthwaka being presented their prize.
Speaking on the pitching process among other things, Ayodele Olojede, the Chief Juror of the Hackathon and Group Head, Emerging Businesses, Africa Bank Plc., said, “The underlining factor we looked at among other criteria was that ‘Civic Good." So, you can come up with a solution you can make money with, and at the same time, you are solving a challenge that could benefit society. We looked at how great the contestants’ ideas were and also checked if there is a team that can progress this; we looked at the quality of the delivery; how they responded to questions; and we also looked at their business models.”
Team Nexa came in third in the competition, winning the sum of N350,000, while Team Cyber Verse clinched the second place position to win the sum of N650,000. However, Team HealthWaka emerged as the overall winner of the competition. The trio of Omolola Oluwadara, Kehinde Abolaji, and Ozemhoya Anthonia beat all comers to win the grand prize of the hackathon, which is the sum of one million naira and an acceleration program investment of up to $50,000 in equity to get their products ready for the market, among other benefits.
L-R Victor Afolabi, Founder Eko Innovation Centre, Ayodele Olojede, Group Head, Emerging Businesses Africa, Access Bank, Team Cyberverse, Team Healthwaka, Team Six and
The founder of Eko Innovation Centre, Lagos, Mr. Victor Afolabi, commented that Nigeria needs homegrown cyber security solutions that understand the challenges of its local environment. Afolabi, also the curator of art and technology in Lagos, made this known during the grand finale of the Secure Hack 1.0 event. He said that one of the major challenges of technology adoption in Nigeria was the cost barrier, and most tech people in Nigeria had to buy laptops and smart devices, which are foreign, to do their jobs, adding that the winners of SecureHack 1.0 deserved recognition and the Eko Innovation Centre deserved commendation for curating another successful tech event in Nigeria.
L-R: First Keynote Speaker, Oluwasolape Akinde, Head Governance, Risk and Compliance, Seven Up Plc.; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Co-founder, Digital Encode Limited (Final Juror); Victor Afolabi, Founder Eko Innovation Centre and Curator, SecureHack 1.0; Ayodele Olojede, Group Head, Emerging Businesses Africa, Access Bank (Final Juror) at the Grand Finale of SecureHack 1.0 held at the Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Speakers emphasized the need for collaboration and partnerships in driving innovation toward providing solutions to the security challenges facing Africa's emerging digital economies.
The hackathon was not only an opportunity for the teams to showcase their innovative solutions, but it also provided a platform for networking and learning from experts in the security industry.
Speaking at the event, Omolola Oluwadara, a member of the winning team, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the hackathon, saying, "We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase our solution to a diverse and knowledgeable audience. We hope to take our solution to the next level and make a real impact on society."
The event was a success, with participants and attendees praising the organizers for their efforts in promoting innovation and driving solutions to security challenges. The Eko Innovation Centre, as the host, deserves commendation for curating yet another successful tech event in Nigeria.
With the growing need for security solutions in Africa's emerging digital economies, events like SecureHack 1.0 provide a platform for innovators to come up with innovative solutions that could make a real impact on society. As Nigeria continues to strive towards becoming a hub for tech innovations in Africa, it is essential to encourage and support events like this that drive innovation, networking, and learning among stakeholders in the tech industry.
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