Applications have opened for the 2026 National AI Innovation Challenge, inviting Nigerian university teams to develop working solutions using N-ATLAS. Entries close on 12 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. West Africa Time.
The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy initiative is implemented through ONDI and NCAIR in partnership with Awarri Technologies. It covers developer tools, voice-based applications and specialised AI models.
Under the Academia and Research track, teams must comprise two to five members, include an enrolled student or postgraduate researcher and a faculty supervisor and obtain departmental endorsement. The team lead must be enrolled in or employed by an accredited Nigerian university or research institution.
Submissions must demonstrate genuine N-ATLAS integration and testing with users, data or benchmarks. Required materials include a working project, technical documentation, integration evidence, validation results, a three-to-five-minute demonstration video, team details and endorsement.
Shortlisted teams can receive mentorship, compute credits and technical support. The announcement does not specify a cash prize. ONDI
For National Open University of Nigeria students with programming or research experience, the competition could offer an opportunity to develop a portfolio project and collaborate across disciplines. Participation remains subject to the organiser’s eligibility rules; NOUN enrolment alone does not guarantee acceptance.
Interested students should discuss a realistic project with a suitable supervisor, agree on team responsibilities and leave sufficient time for testing and documentation. Any personal information used during testing should be handled with permission and appropriate protection.
Applicants can review the complete requirements and access the application through the official National AI Innovation Challenge website. Students should avoid agents promising guaranteed selection and keep their university passwords and verification codes private.
