Nigeria’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office has concluded the first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon on a groundbreaking note, awarding ExportPlug the ₦20 million grand prize for its transformative cross-border trade solution.

Held during the 2025 Science of Trade Conference, the hackathon brought together over 300 innovators from across the continent, setting the stage for a new generation of youth-led digital solutions to power intra-African trade.

Across three days, 60 teams competed with forward-thinking ideas to support the early implementation of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol.

Fifteen finalists emerged, but it was ExportPlug that claimed the top prize with a smart export-enabling platform that connects African producers with buyers across the continent using competitive pricing strategies and intelligent matching algorithms.

The prize, supported by partners including NITDA, Ascend Studios Foundation, GFA Technologies, Amazon Web Services, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, marks a major boost for African trade-tech development.

Olusegun Awolowo, National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, praised the initiative: “The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office celebrates the groundbreaking success of the AfCFTA Hackathon, an inspiring digital leap igniting youth innovation for continental trade and where innovation met integration.

This digital leap drives African solutions for African trade, proving that youth-powered technology is the heartbeat of a united, competitive, and prosperous African market.”

ExportPlug’s win was followed by team GET AI, which secured the ₦10 million E-Commerce Regulatory Sandbox Innovation Prize for its smart automation solution for African marketplaces.

SyncAll, awarded special mentorship and recognition, was celebrated as the most innovative team for its culturally conscious digital product that marries tech progress with African identity.

Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of the AfCFTA Hackathon, emphasized the initiative’s importance: “The first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon in Nigeria marks a bold leap into the future, where digital innovation meets trade policy, empowering Africa’s youth to architect seamless, tech-driven solutions that will power intra-African trade and transform the continent’s economic destiny.”

Inya Lawal, Convener of the Science of Trade Conference, commended the youthful energy and creativity on display: “We are proud of the over 300 innovative minds from across Africa who participated in the AfCFTA Hackathon.

Your energy, intelligence, and commitment to building solutions that strengthen intra-African trade are exactly what the continent needs right now.

We’re grateful to the AfCFTA National Coordination Office for leading this visionary initiative, and to our partners, NITDA, Amazon Web Services, GFA Tech, and Ascend Studios Foundation, for championing innovation at scale.”

Salisu Kaka, Director of e-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, reinforced the event’s symbolic power: “United by code, driven by ambition, from code to continent, this hackathon ignited the digital engine of the AfCFTA, forging innovative solutions that will power the future of African trade.

As Africans, we have demonstrated the power of collective ingenuity in realising the transformative potential of the AfCFTA’s digital trade protocol.

We are confident that Africa is the next frontier of digital trade.”

GFA Technologies, the hackathon’s technical partner, also hailed the participants.

Seun Adeboyejo, Chief Product Officer, stated: “Congratulations to everyone who participated; you are the true heroes of this movement.

GFA Technologies is proud to have played a pivotal role in enabling this transformative initiative.

Special thanks to the judges and partners whose dedication made this milestone possible.”

Head of Technical Operations at Cherith-Code Concept added, “Cherith-Code Concept applauds the first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon, unleashing digital ingenuity, empowering youth-led innovation, and igniting Africa’s tech-driven trade revolution.

This marks a bold leap towards a smarter, connected, and industrialised continental trading future.”

Amazon Web Services, a key technology partner, expressed its excitement for the hackathon’s long-term impact.

Nnenna Irebisi, AWS Public Sector Lead for West Africa, said, “Amazon Web Services is proud to be the technology partner for the inaugural hackathon and hopes to continue to support all the participants in transforming their ideas to actionable change for the continent.

Personally, I was impressed by the passion for problem solving and dedication shown by all teams that participated in the Hackathon, and left with the fondest memory of the youngest hackathon attendee – the baby of one of the participants, which sparks joy and hope that technology really is a unifier and frontier for change.”

With innovation at its core and collaboration driving its mission, the AfCFTA Hackathon has laid the foundation for a new wave of digital-first solutions that can reshape how Africa trades, scales, and thrives.