Codefest Africa has announced that it has attempted a Guinness World Record (GWR) for hosting the longest and largest virtual hackathon in West Africa.
The Founder of Codefest Africa, Mr. Moss Uromtah, disclosed this in an interview reporters on Thursday.
He said the attempt, which featured over 100 developers and 20 industry mentors, had placed Nigeria on the global technology map.
Codefest Africa, a digital innovation ecosystem, focuses on developing Africa’s tech talent through training, hackathons, and bootcamps.
According to Uromtah, the seven-day online event, tagged “Codefest Live Hackathon 2025,” was more than just a competition — it was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the potential of young Nigerian developers.
“With the unifying theme ‘Build for Nigeria’, Codefest 2025 became more than a hackathon. It evolved into a tech festival and civic innovation movement designed to harness the power of young Nigerian minds to build scalable, impact-driven technologies,” he said.
He described the event as a journey from grassroots coding to global recognition, noting that it showcased what was possible when young innovators were empowered to build for national development.
“We didn’t just build software; we built a future. This was about purpose — about Nigeria,” Uromtah added.
He said participants demonstrated creativity and resilience from the first pitch to the final presentation, adding that public voting and jury evaluation would determine the winners ahead of the award and innovation expo slated for November 20.
Co-founder of Codefest Africa, Mr. Morgan Victor, said the Guinness World Record attempt underscored Nigeria’s growing influence in Africa’s digital economy.
He noted that while the live hackathon had ended, the journey was far from over.
“The real victory lies in what comes next. These prototypes are being developed into full products, with several now preparing for incubation, investment, and launch,” Victor said.
He added that the awards and innovation expo, scheduled for November in Lagos, would unveil the top-performing teams after a hybrid jury and public voting process.
The upcoming event is expected to attract investors, government representatives, and tech stakeholders to support promising innovations from the hackathon.
The seven-day virtual hackathon, supported by HackTribe Europe, was launched on October 1 to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day.
It gathered over 100 developer teams and 20 industry mentors from across Nigeria and the Diaspora, challenging participants to design real-world solutions for 24 national problems across six sectors — Fintech, Agriculture, Health, Education, Climate Change, and Open Innovation.
