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National AI Innovation Challenge (NAIC) 2026.
Organizer: National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), through the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, in partnership with Awarri Technologies.
Who Can Apply?
The challenge is open to Nigerian citizens and eligible Nigerian entities, including:* University-based teams* Research institutions* Startups and technology companies* Independent developers* Innovation teams.
For the Academia & Research Track, teams consist of 2–5 members and must include at least one enrolled student or postgraduate researcher, a faculty supervisor and institutional endorsement from a Head of Department or equivalent.
What Participants Are Expected to Build:
Applicants must choose one of three problem areas:1. Developer Infrastructure: tools that make N-ATLAS easier for developers to use.2. Voice-First Access: — applications that allow Nigerians to interact with digital services using voice.3. Sectoral Fine-Tuning: — specialised AI solutions for areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, legal services or financial literacy.
Every submission must genuinely integrate N-ATLAS. Requirements:
Applicants must provide: A functioning technical solution, Evidence of N-ATLAS integration, Evidence of real-world testing, Technical documentation, A 3–5 minute demonstration video, Team profiles Institutional endorsement or registration documentation, depending on the Track concepts, presentations or proposals without a working technical build do not meet the challenge requirements.
Benefits:
Applicants can access technical clinics, N-ATLAS onboarding and technical resources. Shortlisted teams may receive API credentials, compute credits, technical mentorship and opportunities connected to the Nigeria AI ecosystem. Additional support is available for selected winners.
Application Deadline: 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM WAT
Application link:https://ncair.nitda.gov.ng/naic
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