Rise Networks, in partnership with Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and technology giants Meta, Google and Microsoft, has launched the #AI4Elections Hackathon – a national, multidisciplinary and non‑partisan competition aimed at creating artificial‑intelligence tools to strengthen the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. The initiative was announced at a press conference in Abuja, with applications opening on 22 October 2026 and closing on 12 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. West African Time.
The hackathon will bring together developers, AI engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts, university students, electoral specialists, civil‑society organisations and innovators from across Nigeria. In addition to INEC, the programme counts the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, NITHUB at the University of Lagos, the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CLEEN Foundation, Tap Initiative for Citizens’ Development, International Press Centre, Legal Naija, Ahmadu Bello University and the Federal University of Technology, Akure among its partners. The effort is funded by the MacArthur Foundation and Luminate.
“Our ambition is not to introduce technology for technology’s sake. We are committed to promoting responsible AI innovation that respects the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, protects citizens’ rights, and prioritises transparency, privacy and human oversight,” said Dr Toyosi Akerele‑Ogunsiji, founder of Rise Networks, at the Abuja briefing.
Participants are expected to deliver working AI‑enabled applications, software prototypes, data‑analysis tools or multilingual interfaces; idea‑only submissions will be rejected. Submissions will be judged on functionality, relevance to electoral challenges, cybersecurity, privacy, scalability and documentation. The competition will focus on five principal areas:
- Trustworthy electoral information
- Electoral data analysis, operational insights and decision support
- Inclusive and multilingual electoral and civic technology
- Electoral cybersecurity and resilience
- Election observation and citizen accountability
Climate resilience and environmental innovation are offered as an optional cross‑cutting theme.
Rise Networks builds on its experience developing Run‑Am, an AI‑powered misinformation‑detection and fact‑checking mobile app used during the 2023 Nigerian elections. Speaking at the event, Dr Lawrence Bayode highlighted the growing influence of AI on elections and the need to safeguard credibility, while Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, outlined the company’s “Remove, Reduce and Inform” approach and the GovGuide Nigeria chatbot that delivers government information in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The hackathon offers a total cash prize pool of ₦10 million. The overall winner will receive ₦4 million, second place ₦2.5 million and third place ₦1.5 million. Four special innovation awards of ₦500,000 each will recognise excellence in research and policy, electoral and civic inclusion, responsible AI and safety, and cybersecurity and resilience. The programme will run from October 2026 to February 2027, culminating in a national grand finale and innovation showcase on 16 December 2027 in Lagos.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
