Nigeria’s growing reputation as a hub for innovation and digital talent received another boost as renewable energy investment company All On celebrated its 10th anniversary with a nationwide coding competition designed to inspire young Nigerians to develop technology driven solutions for the country’s energy challenges.
The competition, held in Lagos, brought together brilliant university students, software developers and aspiring innovators from different tertiary institutions, creating a platform where creativity, technology and sustainability intersected. Participants were tasked with building digital solutions capable of improving access to clean and affordable energy while addressing real life problems affecting millions of Nigerians.
The initiative underscored the increasing importance of technology in solving national development challenges and highlighted the critical role young innovators will play in shaping Nigeria’s energy future.
After an intense contest that featured several impressive ideas, Team Current Creators, made up of students from the University of Lagos, Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology, emerged as the overall winners with an innovative project called ColdLink.
The winning solution impressed judges with its originality, technical quality and practical application within the renewable energy sector. Designed to improve energy efficiency and enhance access to sustainable cooling solutions, the project demonstrated how technology can be harnessed to solve pressing environmental and economic challenges.
Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer of All On, Caroline Eboumbou, said the coding competition reflected the company’s long standing commitment to supporting innovation that creates meaningful impact across Nigeria.
She explained that the anniversary celebration was not simply about looking back at the organisation’s achievements over the past decade, but also about investing in the next generation of innovators who will drive Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy.
According to her, young Nigerians possess exceptional creativity and technical skills that deserve greater opportunities for growth.
She noted that providing platforms where students and developers can experiment with ideas, collaborate with industry experts and receive mentorship is essential for building a stronger innovation ecosystem.
Eboumbou added that the company believes technology has become one of the most powerful tools for solving complex challenges in energy access, climate resilience and economic development.
She stressed that supporting innovation remains central to All On’s mission of expanding affordable electricity solutions across underserved communities in Nigeria.
Throughout the competition, participants worked in teams to analyse real world energy problems before designing practical digital products capable of making measurable improvements.
Industry professionals, software engineers and renewable energy experts served as mentors, guiding contestants through product development, business strategy, user experience design and solution presentation.
Beyond technical excellence, teams were evaluated on creativity, scalability, sustainability and the potential social impact of their innovations.
The hackathon also encouraged participants to think beyond writing code by considering how their products could eventually become commercially viable solutions capable of attracting investors and serving communities across the country.
For many students, the competition provided a rare opportunity to collaborate with experts from the technology and renewable energy industries while gaining practical experience outside the classroom.
Participants described the event as both challenging and inspiring, noting that it expanded their understanding of how software development can contribute to solving everyday problems.
Nigeria continues to face significant electricity shortages, with unreliable power supply affecting households, businesses, schools and healthcare facilities.
These challenges have created increasing demand for innovative renewable energy solutions supported by digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, smart monitoring systems and data analytics.
Technology experts believe that empowering young developers to build solutions around these challenges could accelerate the country’s transition towards cleaner and more reliable energy systems.
Competitions like the All On Hackathon are becoming important platforms for discovering fresh talent while encouraging entrepreneurship among young Nigerians.
Many successful startups have emerged from similar innovation challenges, demonstrating how simple ideas developed during competitions can eventually grow into businesses that create jobs and improve lives.
Founded by Shell, All On has spent the past decade supporting Nigeria’s off grid energy sector through strategic investments, technical assistance and partnerships with renewable energy companies.
Its work has helped expand electricity access to underserved communities while supporting businesses that provide solar energy solutions for homes, schools, hospitals and small enterprises.
Over the years, the organisation has become one of the leading investors in Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem, contributing to efforts aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels while promoting sustainable economic growth.
As digital technology continues to reshape industries across the world, initiatives that encourage innovation among young people are becoming increasingly valuable.
Experts believe Nigeria’s youthful population represents one of its greatest assets, particularly as global demand grows for software developers, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists and technology entrepreneurs.
By combining coding, innovation and renewable energy, All On’s anniversary competition has demonstrated how collaboration between the private sector and young innovators can generate practical solutions with lasting national impact.
Beyond recognising outstanding talent, the event also reinforced an important message that Nigeria’s future will depend not only on natural resources but also on the creativity, knowledge and determination of its young people.
With sustained investment in digital education, innovation hubs and entrepreneurship programmes, competitions such as this are expected to produce more groundbreaking ideas capable of transforming Nigeria’s energy landscape and positioning the country as a leader in technology driven sustainable development across Africa.
