Vision
To establish Nigeria as a leading African hub for neuroscience, neurotechnology, brain-health data research and technology-driven neurological innovation.
National programme concept & implementation report
National Neuroscience Technology Hackathon 2026
“Building the Next Generation of Nigerian Neurotechnology Innovators.” A national university innovation, research and neurotechnology development programme hosted in Kwali Area Council, FCT.
Document type
National programme concept & implementation report
Lead organisation
NeuralVillage Healthcare and Technology Ltd.
Institutional partner
National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja
Proposed host
Kwali Area Council, FCT, Abuja
Geographic scope
19 Northern States + FCT
Residential cohort
60 selected students
Grand innovation award
US$5,000
Strategic end goal
Neurotechnology Innovation Hub + NBHDI ecosystem
01 — Executive summary
A national platform, not a one-off competition.
The National Neuroscience Technology Hackathon 2026 brings together university students, researchers, academics, engineers, neuroscientists, physicists, data scientists and developers to build practical solutions to challenges in brain health and neuroscience.
It is organised through a collaboration between NeuralVillage Healthcare and Technology Ltd., the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), the Department of Theoretical Physics at NMC, MathWorks and g.tec Medical Engineering, with universities from across Northern Nigeria.
The principal long-term outcome is the establishment of a Neurotechnology Innovation Hub, anchored in Kwali and connected to participating universities, research institutions, government agencies and industry partners.
Education → Research → Experimentation → Prototype → Validation → Innovation → Commercialisation → Impact.
02 — Vision & mission
Nigeria as Africa's leading neurotechnology hub.
Mission
To identify, train, connect and support the next generation of Nigerian neurotechnology innovators through interdisciplinary research, technology development, mentorship, competition and institutional collaboration.
03 — Core objectives
Twelve objectives for the inaugural year.
- 01Identify promising university students working in neuroscience and related disciplines.
- 02Introduce students to modern neurotechnology tools and research methodologies.
- 03Promote interdisciplinary collaboration between physics, mathematics, engineering, medicine, biology and computer science.
- 04Encourage locally relevant brain-health technologies.
- 05Generate innovative solutions using real-world brain-health challenges.
- 06Develop a pipeline of young Nigerian neurotechnology researchers.
- 07Strengthen collaboration between universities, government agencies and technology companies.
- 08Promote computational tools for neuroscience research.
- 09Create opportunities for students to develop prototypes and research projects.
- 10Establish a sustainable Neurotechnology Innovation Hub in Kwali.
- 11Support the Nigerian Brain Health Data Initiative.
- 12Create a model that can become an annual National Neuroscience Technology Hackathon.
04 — Partnership structure
Who delivers the programme.
NeuralVillage Healthcare & Technology Ltd.
Lead innovation / programme partner
Programme coordination, NBHDI, Hub development, stakeholder mobilisation, incubation
National Mathematical Centre (NMC)
Academic / institutional partner
Theoretical physics, computational modelling, research mentorship, university engagement
MathWorks
Technology partner
MATLAB, AI/ML, signal processing, modelling, training and mentorship
g.tec Medical Engineering
Neurotechnology partner
BCI/EEG education, demonstrations, equipment and technical mentorship
05 — Universities & selection
19 Northern States, plus selected FCT institutions.
Geographic coverage
19 Northern States + selected FCT institutions
Target disciplines
Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Medicine, Biology, Data Science, AI, Public Health, Neuroscience and related fields
Institutional nomination
Universities nominate and endorse qualified students
Selection principle
Academic merit + innovation potential + technical capability + commitment
Recommended benchmark
Minimum CGPA of 3.0/5.0 or equivalent, alongside creativity and commitment
06 — Categories
Six innovation tracks.
A
Brain Health
Neurological disorders, monitoring, prevention, early detection, rehabilitation
B
Neurotechnology
BCI, EEG, neurointerfaces, assistive technologies
C
AI & Brain Data
Machine learning, AI, predictive modelling, data visualisation
D
Computational Neuroscience
Mathematical modelling, simulations, signal processing, theoretical physics
E
Digital Health
Remote healthcare, screening, tele-neurology, patient monitoring
F
Creative Neurotechnology
Originality, design and interdisciplinary problem-solving
07 — Structure
Four phases from call to awards.
Phase I
National call for participation
Selected universities receive official invitations and students submit applications.
Phase II
Virtual development
Technical orientation, research resources, expert mentorship, workshops and project-development guidance.
Phase III
National in-person hackathon
Selected teams travel to Kwali for a residential programme with workspace, internet, equipment access, mentorship and judging.
Phase IV
Demonstration, judging and awards
Teams present before an expert panel judging scientific merit, feasibility, innovation, health relevance, scalability, impact and presentation.
08 — Awards
US$5,000 grand prize and national medals.
Grand Prize
US$5,000 — overall winning team
Gold Medal
Outstanding Innovation / Overall Excellence
Silver Medal
Exceptional Innovation
Bronze Medal
Outstanding Emerging Innovation
Most Creative Work
Exceptional originality and creative problem-solving
Special Categories
Best Brain Health, Best Neurotechnology, Best AI/Data, Best Computational Neuroscience, Best Presentation, Best Interdisciplinary Team
Facilitators, mentors, judges and technical contributors receive formal recognition through Certificates of Excellence, recognition plaques, national programme certificates and partner awards. The grand prize is subject to final sponsorship and programme funding arrangements.
09 — Legacy
A permanent Neurotechnology Innovation Hub in Kwali.
The most important long-term outcome is the establishment of a Neurotechnology Innovation Hub in Kwali Area Council, FCT — a permanent platform for neuroscience research, neurotechnology development, brain-health data research, prototyping, AI, computational neuroscience, BCI research, research training and startup incubation.
The Hackathon also supports the launch and visibility of the Nigerian Brain Health Data Initiative (NBHDI), a strategic framework for brain-health data generation, population-level brain-health intelligence and data-driven healthcare innovation.
10 — Residency
60 students, fully hosted in Kwali.
Residential students
60 selected students
Accommodation
Safe, accessible accommodation in or near Kwali
Meals
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Refreshments
Water and scheduled refreshments
Connectivity
Internet-enabled workspace
Safety
Security and welfare arrangements
Transport
Local movement and transport support where required
11 — Governance
Working committee.
Chairperson
Strategic oversight
Programme Convener
Overall programme leadership
Programme Director
Implementation coordination
NMC Institutional Coordinator
NMC participation and institutional liaison
University Engagement Coordinator
University nominations and communication
Technical Committee Lead
Challenges, prototypes and technical quality
Neuroscience / Healthcare Lead
Scientific and health content
Technology Partner Coordinator
MathWorks, g.tec and other technology partners
Student Affairs Coordinator
Welfare, accommodation and feeding
Finance & Sponsorship Lead
Budget, fundraising and financial reporting
Media & Communications Lead
Branding, publicity and media
Logistics Coordinator
Venue, transport and equipment
M&E / Documentation Lead
KPIs, evidence and final report
The programme operates on a joint resource mobilisation model between NeuralVillage and NMC, with support sought from government institutions, technology companies, healthcare organisations, research institutions, development partners and corporate sponsors. It also seeks participation from the Federal Ministries of Education, Health, and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
12 — KPIs
Targets for the inaugural programme.
19
Northern States represented
60
Residential students
US$5,000
Major innovation award
6+
Innovation categories
15+
Technical mentors
10+
Facilitators
3+ Ministries
Federal Government stakeholders
2+
Technology partners
10+
Innovation prototypes
Yes
Annual continuation
13 — Roadmap
Implementation in eight steps.
1. Institutional alignment
Confirm partners, governance and MoUs
NeuralVillage / NMC / Partners
2. Funding & sponsorship
Develop budget, sponsor packages and funding commitments
Finance Committee / Partners
3. University mobilisation
Issue official invitations and receive nominations
University Engagement Committee
4. Selection & training
Assess applicants, publish teams and commence virtual training
Technical Committee
5. Residential hackathon
Kwali-based mentoring, building and testing
Programme & Logistics Teams
6. Demo day & awards
Pitching, judging, medals and US$5,000 award
Judging Panel
7. Incubation
Select high-potential projects for further development
NeuralVillage / Hub
8. Annualisation
Institutionalise as an annual national programme
Working Committee
14 — Long-term
A five-year annual programme.
Year 1
Establishment and inaugural hackathon
Year 2
Expansion to additional universities
Year 3
National Neurotechnology Innovation Challenge
Year 4
African Neurotechnology Innovation Programme
Year 5
International Neurotechnology and Brain Health Innovation Summit
Ultimate strategic goal
From a hackathon to a national neurotechnology innovation ecosystem.
Students → Universities → Research → Technology → Healthcare → Innovation → Startups → National impact.