Hackathon + Innovation Pitch
The NESI Innovation Challenge is a flagship Hackathon + Innovation Pitch Competition under NESI WEEK 2026, designed as a national innovation pipeline for the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
It is purpose-built to identify, support, and scale startups and solutions that solve real, practical challenges across the entire power value chain — from generation to transmission, distribution, regulation, markets, customers, and emerging energy technologies.
This is not just a competition. It is a pathway from idea to deployment, connecting innovators directly with utilities, regulators, investors, and development partners.
Why the NESI Innovation Challenge Matters
Nigeria’s power sector is complex, evolving, and opportunity-rich. While common challenges such as metering, losses, and grid reliability remain critical, the PowerTech and NESI value chain is far broader.
The NESI Innovation Challenge is intentionally open and expansive, encouraging creativity, diversity of thought, and bold innovation across all stakeholder groups, including:
- GENCOs, DISCOs, and TCN
- Regulators and market operators
- Customers and prosumers
- Renewable energy developers
- Data, software, hardware, and infrastructure providers
- Financiers, policymakers, and development partners
Innovators are encouraged to think beyond traditional solutions and propose technologies, platforms, tools, and models that can transform how electricity is generated, delivered, regulated, financed, consumed, and sustained.
Core Focus: PowerTech Solutions
At its heart, the NESI Innovation Challenge focuses on PowerTech, the intersection of power, energy, and technology.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- Digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled solutions
- Hardware-software integrations
- Platform-based business models
- New regulatory, commercial, and operational approaches enabled by technology
Participants are encouraged to explore new problem spaces, unlock hidden inefficiencies, and design scalable solutions relevant not only to Nigeria, but to Africa’s broader energy ecosystem.
Hackathon Tracks
Participants will select one primary track to anchor their solution. These tracks are intentionally broad to allow flexibility, creativity, and cross-cutting innovation.
1. Advanced Metering, Billing & Revenue Innovation
Solutions that improve accuracy, transparency, affordability, customer trust, billing intelligence, and revenue optimization across electricity markets.
2. Grid Intelligence, Monitoring & Automation
Technologies that enhance grid visibility, resilience, predictive maintenance, fault detection, automation, and real-time decision-making.
3. Energy Theft, Loss Reduction & Asset Protection
Innovations targeting commercial and technical losses, theft detection, tamper-proofing, asset monitoring, and revenue assurance.
4. Renewable Energy, Storage & Microgrids
Solutions supporting solar, wind, hybrid systems, energy storage, microgrids, mini-grids, and decentralized power systems.
5. Customer Experience, Engagement & Service Delivery
Platforms and tools that improve onboarding, complaints resolution, outage communication, customer education, and satisfaction.
6. Market Operations, Trading & Settlement Systems
Innovations that strengthen market transparency, settlement processes, energy trading, demand forecasting, and financial reconciliation.
7. Energy Data, AI & Decision Intelligence
AI, analytics, digital twins, forecasting models, and data platforms that enable smarter planning, operations, and regulation.
8. Energy Access, Inclusion & Affordability
Solutions expanding access to reliable power for underserved communities, SMEs, rural areas, and vulnerable populations.
9. Regulatory Technology (RegTech) & Compliance
Tools that support regulation, compliance monitoring, reporting, licensing, performance tracking, and governance.
10. Climate, Sustainability & Energy Transition
Innovations supporting decarbonization, emissions tracking, ESG reporting, climate resilience, and sustainable power systems.
11. Infrastructure, Hardware & IoT for Power Systems
Smart devices, sensors, embedded systems, IoT hardware, and field technologies for power infrastructure.
12. Financing, Payments & Energy Economics
Solutions addressing energy financing, payment systems, credit models, subsidies, tariffs, and innovative commercial structures.
Participants may propose cross-track solutions where applicable.
How to Participate
1. Form Your Team
Create a team of 2–5 members with diverse and complementary skills. Teams may include expertise in areas such as AI / Machine Learning, backend or frontend development, UI/UX design, data science, fintech or energy systems, and product or project management. Multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
2. Choose a Track
Review the hackathon tracks and challenge themes carefully. Select one primary track that best aligns with your team’s interests, experience, and proposed solution. Cross-track innovation is welcome.
3. Develop Your Idea
Design an innovative and practical solution that addresses real challenges within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and the broader power and energy value chain. Teams are encouraged to leverage GenAI, Agentic AI, data analytics, IoT, cloud platforms, blockchain, and other emerging technologies where relevant.
4. Prepare Your Pitch
Develop a clear and compelling pitch that communicates:
- The problem you are solving
- Your proposed solution and how it works
- The value and impact across the NESI ecosystem
- Technical approach and feasibility
- Scalability and deployment potential
5. Submit Your Application
Register online and submit your application, including your pitch deck and all required information, before the application deadline.
6. Get Shortlisted
Shortlisted teams will be officially notified and invited to participate in the live NESI Innovation Challenge Hackathon in Abuja, Nigeria.
Prizes & Opportunities
Total Prize Pool: ₦50,000,000
Cash prizes will be awarded to the Top 4 Teams:
- Winner: ₦20,000,000
- 2nd Place: ₦10,000,000
- 3rd Place: ₦10,000,000
- 4th Place: ₦10,000,000
Additional Benefits for All 5 Finalists
- Strategic collaboration opportunities with utilities, investors, and development partners
- Real pathways from innovation to pilot, deployment, and scale
- Investor exposure and partnership opportunities
- Startup incubation program with expert mentorship
- Industry visibility across NESI WEEK platforms
Solution Submission Requirements
To apply, participants must:
- Submit their ideas and register their team online
- Provide a clear problem statement and proposed solution
- Demonstrate feasibility, innovation, and potential impact
- Ensure alignment with one or more Hackathon Tracks
Timeline
Application Period
Submit your ideas and register your team online during the open application window.
Notification of Selection
Shortlisted teams will be notified and formally invited to participate.
Live Hackathon
October 16 – 18, 2026
A 3-day innovation sprint in Abuja, Nigeria, featuring mentorship, workshops, and solution development.
Semi-Final Demo
October 19, 2026
Semi-finalist teams will pitch their prototypes to the judges in Abuja.
Final Demo Day
October 20, 2026
Top 5 teams will present their final solutions and winners will be announced.
Application Assessment Criteria
Submissions will be judged based on:
- Problem relevance and clarity
- Innovation and originality
- Technical feasibility and scalability
- Market and sector impact
- Sustainability and long-term value
- Team capability and execution potential
Eligibility Criteria – Who Can Participate
The challenge is open to:
- Individuals of all ages with verifiable, working solutions
- Developers, designers, and innovators
- Students, professionals, and startups
- Teams of 2 – 5 people
- Citizens of African countries
Intellectual Property (IP) Requirements
All submissions must:
- Be original work
- Be solely owned by the individual or team
- Not infringe on third-party intellectual property (copyrights, patents, trademarks, etc.)
Participants retain ownership of their intellectual property, subject to agreed collaboration or pilot arrangements.
Join the Movement
The NESI Innovation Challenge is where PowerTech meets real-world impact.
If you are building solutions that can shape the future of electricity in Nigeria and Africa, this is your platform.
