Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat) hosted the 2020 ActInSpace hackathon in Abuja, a two-day event, November 13-14, 2020, organized in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), and ActInSpace.
The international competition aimed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in space technology.
Team Astromania’s Victory
Team Astromania, a group of five young Nigerians, emerged as winners among four finalist teams, beating Teams Floews, FutureGeneration, and Pyloop.
Their winning project focused on harnessing car and satellite data to develop an innovative application.
The team received ₦750,000 ($1,900), laptops, an ICT internship, and an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Nigeria at the global ActInSpace finals in France.
Encouraging Innovation
Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, represented Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, at the event.
He urged the winners to aim for global success, noting, “This competition drives skills development and entrepreneurship in the space sector.
Since 2014, ActInSpace has birthed over 45 startups globally, and Africa is now part of this through the African Aeronautics and Space Organisation (AASO).”
NigComSat’s Vision
Dr. Abimbola Alale, NigComSat’s Managing Director, emphasized the event’s role in nurturing young talent. “We’re passionate about skills development,” she told journalists.
“This initiative challenges youths to harness their talents and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, encouraging them to become employers rather than job seekers.”
Alale highlighted that all participants, including non-winners, would receive support to develop their ideas further.
Impact and Future Goals
The hackathon showcased Nigeria’s growing role in space technology and digital innovation. By empowering young innovators, NigComSat aims to build a generation of self-reliant entrepreneurs.
The success of Team Astromania underscored the potential of Nigeria’s youth to compete globally, with hopes of inspiring more startups and strengthening the country’s tech ecosystem.
