Team Block X Wins the HabariPay Squad Hackathon

Nume Ekeghe

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc’s fintech arm, HabariPay, has named Team “Block X” the champion of Squad Hackathon 3.0. The event showcased the talents of Nigeria’s emerging software developers, engineers, and AI specialists.

The final took place at the GTCentre and highlighted innovative solutions that tackle pressing economic and social issues, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, automation, productivity tools, and digital inclusion.

In its announcement, the bank explained that the winning solution links informal workers with employers and incorporates them into the financial services ecosystem. For example, a bricklayer named “Tola” can speak to the platform’s Nigerian English voice agent, receive a job match, complete the work, and be paid through Squad. Repeated transactions build a verifiable financial history that can unlock banking services and credit within 90 days.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, spoke at the ceremony, describing the hackathon as a training ground for future technology leaders who solve real‑world problems.

“You are the best of the best. Everybody who made it into this room today is already a winner,” Agbaje said. “The world is not ruled by extroverts; it is ruled by thinkers.”

He highlighted resilience, collaboration, and ethical execution as essential ingredients for successful innovation and business development.

Eduofon Japhet, Managing Director of HabariPay, noted that this year’s edition was the most ambitious yet, with participation growing more than tenfold compared to earlier iterations.

“We realised there is still a gap between classroom theory and practical problem‑solving,” Japhet said. “This platform is designed to help students build real‑world solutions using emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and smart systems.”