Nigeria Wins 2026 ECOWAS Regional Hackathon

Nigeria has emerged winner of the 2026 ECOWAS Regional Hackathon, beating competitors from across West Africa after 48 hours of intensive cybersecurity challenges in Accra.

The Nigerian team, Error took home a grand cash prize of $10,000, a certification course voucher provided through a partnership involving ECOWAS, the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office, as well as certificates of participation.

The 4th ECOWAS Regional Cybersecurity Hackathon was hosted by Ghana and organised by the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).

The event brought together young cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers and technology innovators from across the sub-region to develop solutions to growing cyber threats facing West Africa.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Mr. Divine Selease Agbeti, commended all participating teams for their performance throughout the competition.

He praised participants for demonstrating strong technical skills and a commitment to building a resilient digital future for their respective countries and the wider ECOWAS region.

The hackathon was designed to strengthen regional cybersecurity capacity and encourage collaboration among young technology professionals.

Participants spent two days designing, testing and defending digital solutions capable of addressing emerging cyber threats confronting governments, businesses and institutions across West Africa.

The event opened on June 10 in Accra, with Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, urging participants to approach the competition as an opportunity to develop practical solutions that could eventually be deployed in real-world settings.

The regional hackathon is one of the bloc’s flagship initiatives aimed at identifying and developing cybersecurity talent among