The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for increased investment in locally developed accessible technologies to bridge digital exclusion and unlock opportunities for millions of Nigerians. The Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, made the call at the fourth edition of the NCC Hackathon Live Show, themed “Technology Without Barriers,” held Thursday in Abuja.
Represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Ms Rimini Makama, Maida said the creativity of young Nigerians remains a major economic resource. He noted the hackathon celebrated youth innovation and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to equal digital access, particularly for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Citing World Bank estimates, Maida said about 25 million Nigerians experience at least one form of disability, with 3.6 million facing significant functional difficulties. He warned that PWDs are twice as likely to be excluded from employment and education, and that digitalisation could deepen inequality if accessibility isn’t prioritised.
He explained that barriers to digital technology could deny PWDs access to connectivity, education, employment, financial services, healthcare and social participation. Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy, he said, cannot be realised while millions remain excluded by physical, sensory or cognitive barriers.
Maida identified key challenges facing PWDs as device costs, inaccessible platforms, poor digital skills and limited access to affordable assistive technologies. He described the hackathon as a platform for solving these issues so technology removes barriers rather than creates new ones, adding that accessible tech could unlock new markets and bring more Nigerians into the formal economy.
He said the initiative is helping Nigeria shift from importing foreign software to building its own assistive technologies, citing solutions like AI-powered speech-to-text tools, voice-enabled public service platforms, accessible USSD services and inclusive mobile apps. He urged participants to keep refining their innovations and called on investors and telecom operators to support commercialisation.
Twenty contestants presented solutions, with five reaching the finale. Sora emerged overall winner, followed by Clear Signal, Ikor, Axol and Aditus. MTN Nigeria’s Ms Chinyelu Chikwendu commended the NCC’s focus on disability-inclusive innovation, noting MTN’s commitment to employing PWDs as it transitions into a digitally driven company.
Sora’s developer, Mr Abdulhaqq Somoye, said the platform was built to address gaps in existing recruitment systems, inspired partly by a federal policy requiring government bodies to allocate at least 5% of jobs to PWDs. He described Sora as a dedicated recruitment platform matching PWD candidates with employers based on skills and qualifications
