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| L-R: Managing Director, HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet; Team Block X members Treasure Uvietobore, Platform & Systems Engineer; Naheem Olaide, Frontend & ML Developer; and Enoch Idowu, AI & ML Engineer; Business Development Executive, HabariPay, Somtochukwu Ezisi; and Chief Marketing Officer, HabariPay, Yemi Atanda, during the presentation of the grand prize to Team Block X, winners of the HabariPay Squad Hackathon 3.0, held at the GTCentre, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently. |
HabariPay, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, has announced Team “Block X” as the winner of the Squad Hackathon 3.0, following a highly competitive final stage that showcased some of Nigeria’s most talented young developers, engineers, and AI innovators.
The grand finale, held at the GTCentre, featured innovative technology solutions focused on addressing key economic and social challenges. This year’s edition placed strong emphasis on artificial intelligence, automation, productivity tools, and digital inclusion.
Team Block X, made up of Treasure Uvietobore (Platform & Systems Engineer), Naheem Olaide (Frontend & Machine Learning Developer), and Enoch Idowu (AI & Machine Learning Engineer) from Obafemi Awolowo University, emerged winners with their project “Guild,” an AI-powered platform designed to connect informal workers to the formal financial system.
The solution enables informal workers to access job opportunities through a voice-based AI assistant named “Tola.” In a typical use case, a worker such as a bricklayer can request a job, get matched with an employer, complete the task, and receive payment through Squad. Over time, repeated transactions create a verifiable financial record that can help users access banking services and credit within 90 days.
Now in its third edition, the Hackathon attracted over 1,600 applications from students and young innovators across Nigeria. More than 600 applicants were shortlisted based on technical skills, team structure, and GitHub portfolios, while over 500 participants advanced to the grand finale.
Speaking at the event, Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, described the competition as a platform for developing future technology leaders through practical problem-solving.
He noted that every finalist was already a winner and emphasized the importance of resilience, collaboration, and critical thinking in building successful innovations
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