The Hack for Health Hackathon of the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA) Information Technology Hub (NITHub), University of Lagos, ended on a high note on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with Project Theia clinching the coveted $2500 (two thousand five hundred) dollar grand prize.
Project Theia outwitted nine (9) other teams that made it to the grand finale of the hackathon with its AI co-pilot for Malaria Diagnosis.
Team Kapssul emerged as the first runner up while Team Precision finished as the second runner up, both smiling home with $1,500 (One thousand five hundred) & $1,000 (one thousand) dollars respectively.
Other teams that pulled an impressive performance at the competition include: Team Clodocs which occupied the 4th position, Team Excellence which came 5th and Team Lifeline which clinched the 6th position. They also got consolation prizes while the Director, NITHub, University of Lagos, Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa announced an incubation largesse for the 5 top teams.
The idea of the Hack for Health Hackathon, according to Dr. Odumuyiwa, sprung from a Design Thinking Session amongst doctors, engineers, AI enthusiasts and other relevant experts which held earlier in February 2025, where staff shortage, poor patients’ follow up and non-digitized records system were identified as leading issues plaguing the Nigerian Health system.
Dr. Odumuyiwa said a total of 560 (five hundred and sixty) applications were received from 232 (two hundred and thirty two) teams across different countries. After scaling through various stages of training sessions, rounds of pitching and refining of ideas, in May 2025, a total of 111 (one hundred and one) multidisciplinary teams were shortlisted with emphasis on gender inclusiveness, team diversity and experience in problems solving.
A total of 10 teams made it to the grand finale of the hackathon themed “Bots, Brains and Bandages” which held amidst pump and ceremony at the Rahamon Bello Lecture Hall of UNILAG.
In his remarks on behalf of the University management, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Professor Foluso Afolabi-Lesi described the hackathon as another testimony of the problem solving skills among Nigerian youths.
He expressed strong reservation over the continued decline in the number of Health care practitioners, a development which according to him, makes technology and innovation an imperative solution especially in diagnostics, care and patients’ follow up.
While applauding all the participating teams for the quality of innovation, diversity and team spirit, Prof Afolabi-Lesi reaffirmed the future-ready agenda of the current UNILAG Management and its focus on anticipating problems as well as proferring AI powered solutions through a multidisciplinary approach.
The well attended event which is supported by META, featured a panel session which had on board: Motunrayo Sanyaolu (an Electrical & Electronics Engineering student of UNILAG and creator of NeoBlankey, a low cost IoT-powered warming device designed to combat Hypothermia in premature babies), Ayodeyi Fadare (a Health Technologist and Product Leader) and Chioma Oko (Product Manager and Founder of PMOasis).
The discussions were on “Building AI Health Solutions Rooted in Local Needs, Powered for Global Impact” and discussants lent their voices to the growing trends of meeting Africa’s health needs through technology while also making inputs to ongoing efforts in addressing global health challenges.
Report: Gbenga Gbelee
Photograph: Michael Joshua
