National AI Innovation Challenge (NAIC) 2026 — Build with N-ATLAS

Applicants must: Be Nigerian citizens or registered Nigerian entities. Submit original work that has not previously won another competition. Apply to only one problem statement. Submit a working technical solution, not just an idea or proposal. Integrate directly with N-ATLAS. Submit application materials in English

Applicants can access technical clinics, N-ATLAS onboarding resources and university roadshows. Shortlisted teams may receive API access, computing credits, technical mentorship, invitations to the Nigeria AI Innovators Summit and inclusion in NITDA’s AI talent registry.

Winners may also receive opportunities such as research partnerships, government recognition, incubation support, investor introductions and possible pathways for government AI pilots or procurement review, depending on their track

Each submission must demonstrate: A working technical artefact. Genuine integration with N-ATLAS. Real-world validation using real users, real datasets or live benchmarks.

Concept-only proposals, research papers, pitch decks, mock-ups or wireframes without a functional build are not sufficient.

What Applicants Must Submit Applicants are expected to provide: Working application, repository, API, model or dataset Evidence of N-ATLAS integration Real-world testing/validation Technical documentation 3–5 minute demo video Team profile Institutional endorsement, CAC certificate or valid ID depending on the track.

The programme is designed to deepen the development and practical adoption of Nigeria’s sovereign AI ecosystem. N-ATLAS supports Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian-accented English, and includes automatic speech recognition capabilities for voice-based applications.

Participants must build under one of three challenge areas: Developer Infrastructure — tools, SDKs, documentation, playgrounds or developer resources for N-ATLAS. Voice-First Access — voice-based digital services using N-ATLAS ASR. Sectoral Fine-Tuning — specialised N-ATLAS models for sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, legal services and financial literacy.

Participation Tracks Academia & Research Track University research teams Academic AI labs Postgraduate researchers Faculty-led teams Teams of 2–5 members Must include at least one enrolled student or postgraduate researcher Faculty supervisor required Institutional endorsement letter required.

Innovation & Enterprise Track Registered startups Technology companies Social enterprises Independent developers Innovation hubs Individual applicants must be Nigerian citizens aged 18+ Registered organisations require CAC registration.