By 
By Nana Theresa Timothy
The city of Jos came alive this week as innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and tech enthusiasts gathered for HackJos 2025, This is Northern Nigeria’s flagship innovation hackathon and technology conference.
RELATED: HackJos 2025 Begins This Week: Celebrating a Decade of Innovation with nHub
The three-day event, held from November 10 to 12, 2025, marked a decade of innovation excellence for nHub. As Northern Nigeria’s pioneer innovation center, it charted new directions for the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through technology.
With the theme “Igniting MSME Growth Through Innovation,” the event ignite conversations around bolstering MSMEs as economic engines houses. This underscored the thematic focus on importance of digital transformation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship in driving inclusive economic growth across Nigeria.
A Decade of Building Innovation from Jos
Opening the summit, Theodore Longji, Convener of HackJos and CEO of nHub, welcomed participants. He said this was “not just the beginning of another hackathon, but the continuation of a bold story that began in Jos ten years ago.”
Longji reflected on nHub’s journey from a small gathering of passionate young people with big dreams. It has now become a beacon of innovation and a platform that has trained thousands, incubated startups, and shaped Northern Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
“As we celebrate nHub at 10, we are reminded of how far we’ve come, and inspired for the decade ahead. HackJos has become more than a competition; it’s a movement to spark real change, where innovators build solutions that help MSMEs access opportunities, grow sustainably, and contribute to Nigeria’s prosperity,” Longji said,
The Founder’s Vision Lives On
In his Founder’s Keynote Address, Daser David, President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) and founder of nHub, revisited the origins of HackJos. He described it as “a bold declaration that innovation, creativity, and technology could thrive right here in Jos, on the Plateau.”
According to him, the idea behind HackJos was to connect young talent with opportunities. HackJos was designed to inspire innovation, and prove that “great ideas can come from anywhere.”
Over the past decade, HackJos has evolved into a movement that has produced founders, engineers, and change-makers. All of them are now driving impact across Nigeria and beyond. David emphasized that innovation remains the bridge between challenges and opportunities, especially for MSMEs navigating Nigeria’s fast-changing digital economy.
“This year’s theme captures the heartbeat of our economy. MSMEs are the engine of job creation and resilience in Nigeria. Through innovation, we can empower them to scale, thrive, and lead inclusive growth,” said David.
“Let us not just build startups, but ecosystems. From Jos, we can power the next wave of digital transformation across Africa,” he added.
Driving MSME Transformation Through Innovation
Hauwa Anita Mankilik-The policy Advisor and State Office Coordinator-GIZ-SEDIN, who delivered the goodwill message, reiterated the program’s commitment to fostering innovation that directly strengthens Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem. She represented Akinropo Omoware, Esq, Head of the Business Enabling Environment & Sustainable Infrastructure Component of GIZ-SEDIN.
Under the GIZ-Sustainable and Inclusive Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN) programme, she explained, the organization has been working with 13 business development clusters across Plateau State. They span agro-processing, automobile, metal works, IT hubs, markets, and fashion. She said these clusters represent the frontlines of innovation, job creation, and community development.
However, she acknowledged the persistent challenges MSMEs face, including poor access to finance, low digital adoption, and weak market linkages. She noted that the Hackathon offered a unique opportunity to co-create “practical, tech-enabled, and sustainable solutions” to these issues.
Mankilik outlined key focus areas for the participants’ solutions:
- Expanding market access through digital tools and e-commerce,
- Improving productivity with affordable technologies,
- Enhancing competitiveness through branding and customer management,
- Promoting green and sustainable practices, and
- Building resilient business models that create decent jobs.
She encouraged participants to collaborate, innovate boldly, and develop solutions that could transition from prototypes into real-world applications.
“Your creativity and passion are the true engines of transformation.”
HackJos 2025 Challenge: Building Solutions That Matter
The 48-hour hackathon, which ran from November 10–12, saw developers and entrepreneurs compete across key challenge tracks. They include E-commerce Solutions, Financial Inclusion, Productivity Tools, and Logistics & Last-Mile Delivery.
Teams were tasked with creating Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). These MVPs must directly impact how Nigerian MSMEs operate, scale, and compete in the digital economy.
The challenge not only fostered creativity but also served as a bridge between innovators, industry experts, and investors. The event’s objective was clear, to transform ideas into viable solutions that drive tangible change across Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
Panel Sessions and Innovation Summit
The concluding day, the HackJos 2025 Innovation Summit, brought together thought leaders, policymakers, and ecosystem builders for high-level panel discussions.
Sessions explored diverse topics including “Building Sustainable MSMEs,” “From Idea to Impact,” “Tech-Driven Growth,” and “Access to Finance and Markets for the Next Generation of MSMEs.”
Among the distinguished speakers were Daser David, foundeer nHub and president, Digital Bridge Institute; Bankole Nnamdi Ibe, founder Axial Hub; Eric Nanle, Executive Director, nHub; Salamatu Ceesay, Coordinator, PlaceHer; David Enyi, African Intelligence; Moses Arnama, founder, Futurefeat; and Bruce Lukas, founder Olatu Square. Others are Olusegun Oruame, founder IT Edge News.Africa; Dankishiya Saleh Hadi, angel investor and founder, Dankish Associates; and Joy Buba, executive director, Young Innovators of Nigeria, among others. Each session reinforced the shared belief that collaboration between innovators, policymakers, and private sector actors is essential for building sustainable enterprises.
Celebrating nHub @ 10 — A Decade of Impact
As HackJos 2025 wrapped up, participants celebrated nHub’s 10th anniversary as a dream builder. In its decade-long journey, nHub has become a catalyst for digital transformation in Northern Nigeria.
Since its founding in 2015, nHub has trained thousands of young people, supported startups, influenced innovation policy, and built a thriving ecosystem from Jos to the world.
The event’s closing message captured the spirit of the gathering perfectly:
“HackJos is back, let’s ignite growth.”
Through collaboration, innovation, and resilience, HackJos 2025 reaffirmed that the future of Nigeria’s MSMEs, and indeed its digital economy, lies in the power of technology and the creativity of its people.
Reaffirming Jos as a hub of innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial energy
HackJos 2025 reaffirmed Jos as a hub of innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial energy. As nHub celebrated its 10th anniversary, the event highlighted how technology and teamwork can drive sustainable growth for Nigeria’s MSMEs.
With strong partnerships, creative talent, and a shared vision for progress, the city is poised to lead the next wave of digital transformation, proving that the future of innovation in Nigeria can indeed be built from Jos.
