ICP Hub Sahara, sponsored by Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), successfully hosted the second edition of its campus hackathon, Decahack Initiative, at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

ICP is a decentralised network that enables the construction of web services and enterprise systems directly on it, utilising "canister software," an advanced iteration of smart contracts. It provides secure user authentication, open internet services controlled by communities, and the ability to connect with other blockchains.

ICP Hub Sahara, a division of ICP, is responsible for promoting ICP in West Africa, utilising strategies such as events like the Decahack hackathon initiative, which it held in collaboration with the Cryptography Development Initiative in Nigeria (CDIN).

The event brought together stakeholders in the Nigerian blockchain and crypto space, including members of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), representatives from participating tertiary institutions, academics, members of the Nigerian military, and enthusiasts of blockchain and Web3.

The Decahack Initiative underscores ICP Hubs commitment to increasing the adoption of technological solutions built on the blockchain and its dedication to youth development.

A total of 15 startups from various universities participated in the event.

• Quotex and Bricks from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
• DBlogx and FoodChop from the University of Ilorin.
• Swain Vote Chain (SVC), Suppl, and Daosky from Kwara State University (KWASU)
• Task Manager from the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna)
• ICBot, Propspace, Newsgrid (Bonafide), Certify, and RollBucks from Covenant University
• Ticketpass and Creatipp from Tai Solarin University

Adedayo Adebajo, co-founder of ICP Hub Sahara and convener of the Decahack Initiative, addressed the audience, remarking that the initiative brought together some of the brightest minds nationwide, demonstrating their passion for driving positive change. He also emphasised that the initiative reflects their commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs by providing solutions. 

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was represented by Yakubu Musa, the Acting National Coordinator, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation, NITDA. Yakubu shared the DGs address and goodwill message, reiterating the agency's commitment to the development and growth of technology in Nigeria.

The event was attended by Lucky Uwakwe, Chairman, Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BiCCoN); Obinna Iwonu, Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN); Adedeji Owonibi, Founder and COO, Convexity; Ayodeji Awosika, founder of Web3Bridge; Chuta Chimezie, founder of Blockchain Nigeria User Group (BNUG); Fadele Adeolu, President, Cryptography Development Initiative in Nigeria (CDIN); and Jude Ozinegbe, founder of cyberchain, among others.

They all delivered goodwill messages and later served as judges for the day, evaluating the various pitches, posing critical questions, and offering recommendations to participants.

The winners of the Decahack Initiative pitch were announced, with Certify, a credential verification platform hosted on the blockchain, emerging on top.

The first runner-up was Propspace, a decentralised application built on ICP that facilitates the selling and co-ownership of house units as non-fungible tokens (NFTs); Quotex, a decentralised perpetual trading platform; ICTBot, a decentralised finance platform that provides user-friendly telegram bots for managing wallets and executing transactions; and DBlogx, a platform that empowers content creators with direct monetisation, ownership, and freedom of ownership. Each winner received cash prizes of $5,000, among other perks.

In an interview with Techpoint Africa, Dr. Lukman Olasunkanmi, the Vice Dean of the Division of Student Affairs at Obafemi Awolowo University, expressed his impression of the event's organisation and anticipated more such events that foster innovation in tertiary institutions and collaboration with organisations like the ICP Hub.

Shola Coker, the Dean of Student Affairs at Covenant University, expressed satisfaction with her team's performance, with three out of five startups winning cash prizes. She emphasised the importance of spreading opportunities like this across the country to ensure widespread development and inclusion.

Daniel Onyesoh, a final-year student of computer science, and Teniola Kolaro, a final-year student of industrial physics, comprised the Certify team, the winning team. They expressed excitement about their victory and confidence in their product. Daniel spoke about his journey from freelancing as a blockchain developer to participating in the hackathon and building on ICP.

Teniola highlighted the enriching experience of learning about blockchain technology and the potential for their product to scale.

Adedayo, the convener, shared insights into the Decahack Initiative, highlighting its inception approximately five months prior, when they toured nine universities spanning nine states across the country. He expressed delight at the event's success and outlined plans for future editions, emphasising lessons learned and improvements to be implemented.

He said, "What we saw today was beyond what I expected, even though we had to postpone the event from the 29th of March to the 18th of April. We had a fantastic pitch with well-composed and well-presented ideas and this is a success."

Adedayo also mentioned plans for replicating the initiative across the country and some West African countries, noting ICP's presence in over 29 countries globally and in six African countries, with operations managed in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana through the ICP Hub Sahara.