Why This Matters
Real solutions to real problems faced by real people – everywhere.
700M
people worldwide lack access to basic healthcare
Source: WHO
675M
people live without electricity globally
Source: IEA 2025
70%
of world's food produced by smallholder farmers
Source: FAO
Focus Areas
Three critical challenges. Infinite possibilities for innovation.
Healthcare
Deliver primary healthcare to rural and peri-urban communities where over 60% of Nigerians have little or no access.
Energy
Provide affordable, reliable, clean energy to the 85+ million Nigerians without grid access.
Agriculture
Increase smallholder farmer productivity where 70% struggle with low yields and post-harvest losses.
The 5-Phase Journey
Stanford d.school and IDEO-inspired human-centred design frameworks. From deep community empathy to market-ready prototypes in 10 weeks.
Empathy & Define
Immersive community workshops in rural clinics, farms, and off-grid villages.
Ideate
Divergent ideation powered by global design tools and local insight.
Prototype
Rapid hardware + software builds supported by GE Garage, Zoho, and TD Africa.
Test
Real-world field trials with end-users in actual deployment scenarios.
Pitch
Live Demo Day + global livestream judged by African and international investors.
Timeline
A 10-week journey from idea to investable prototype.
Call for Application
Applications open for individuals from diverse backgrounds, students, tech enthusiasts, women, rural youth.
Application Assessment - Round 1 & 2
Evaluation of applicants based on background, experience, and ambition.
Design Thinking Bootcamp
Online workshops on design thinking methodology and problem areas.
Virtual Bootcamp and Demo Day
Teams pitch prototypes to judges with live demonstrations and presentations.
Winners Award
Winners announced and receive prizes, seed funding, and opportunities.
Who We're Looking For
Four complementary profiles to create balanced, high-performing founding teams. Applicants from any country welcome.
Hard-Tech Specialist
Science/Engineering
Engineers, scientists, hardware experts who drive technical feasibility and proof-of-concept. Future CTO track.
Software/Data/AI Specialist
Developers & Data Scientists
Software developers, data scientists, and ML engineers who build scalable digital infrastructure.
Commercial/Operator Leader
Business & Strategy
Entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who excel at customer development, go-to-market, and fundraising. CEO/COO track.
Catalyst
Wildcard
Designers, farmers, product managers, or domain insiders who bring unconventional insight.
Prizes & Commitments
Sponsored by TD Africa. Over ₦60 million in prizes plus the full Innovators-in-Residence program.
Healthcare
₦18M
+ Full Innovators-in-Residence Program
Energy
₦18M
+ Full Innovators-in-Residence Program
Agriculture
₦18M
+ Full Innovators-in-Residence Program
Winners
Healthcare
₦10M
Energy
₦10M
Agriculture
₦10M
+ Full Innovators-in-Residence Program
Other Finalists
Prize money to be won + innovators in residence admission
For 1st and 2nd Runner Up
- • Full Innovators-in-Residence program
- • Sector-specific awards and partner prizes
- • Hardware, cloud credits, mentorship
Innovators in Residence Program
A 6-month incubator and accelerator program for winners and finalists to build solutions for scale.
Phase 1: Incubator
3 Months
Find problem-solution fit & build a credible business case. Focus on building proof points around customers, problems, and value proposition.
- Domain expert support and mentorship
- Pitch deck and data room refinement
- Investment Committee presentation
- Up to ₦100M for qualifying teams
Phase 2: Accelerator
3 Months
Intensive growth sprint with corporate partners, mentors, and investors. Build customer traction and momentum.
- Corporate and financial partner network
- Customer acquisition support
- Product-market fit validation
- Series A readiness preparation
Partners
A coalition of global and African institutions driving innovation.
Sponsors
ETF
TDAfrica
IHS Towers
Partners
CafeOne
Microsoft
IBM
Ennovate Ventures
Enugu-State Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology
Host, Judges, Mentors & Team
Hosts
Engr. Prince Lawrence Ezeh FNSE PhD
Hon. Commissioner for Innovation Science and Technology Enugu-State Government
Chioma Ekeh
CEO TDAfrica
Judges
Francis Omorojie
Judge
Fola Olatunji David
Judge
Chioma Ekeh
Judge
Julian Duru
Judge
Mentors
Daramola Adekunle
Mentor
Georgewell Sharon
Mentor
Ashly Barret
Mentor
Kolapo Ogungbile
Mentor
DTC™ Team
Brian
Team Member
Victor
Team Member
Sultan
Team Member
Julian
Team Member
Benedictta
Team Member
Jasper
Team Member
Damilola
Team Member
Rio
Team Member
John
Team Member
Joy
Team Member