Young African Innovators Take Centre Stage at Solana Students Summit

The Solana Students Africa Summit Grand Finale, held at the University of Lagos, brought together some of Africa’s brightest young innovators, developers, and creators for a day dedicated to technology, innovation, and enterprise.

The event, convened by Opeyemi Stephen and co-convened by Tobiloba Adedeji, marked the conclusion of the Solana Students Africa Hackathon, a month-long innovation challenge aimed at equipping students with the skills, mentorship, and exposure needed to build practical blockchain solutions for Africa’s digital economy.
Supported by Women in DeFi, GitHub Campus Experts, SuperteamNG, Web3 Afrika and the Google Developer Students Club, the summit featured keynote sessions, product showcases, and a panel discussion exploring the continent’s role in the global Web3 ecosystem.

Opening the event, co-founder Tobiloba Adedeji, a fifth-year Computer Science student at the University of Lagos, highlighted the growth of the Solana Students Africa community from a small campus group to a pan-African network. “We started as a small community of learners with big dreams,” he said. “Today, we’re seeing African students build global solutions, connect with international networks, and create real impact through technology.”
For many attendees, the experience was transformational. Lydia Solomon, a product designer and developer, shared how the initiative inspired her growth. “This community gave me the courage to build and the understanding of how the industry truly works,” she said. “It’s been life-changing.”

Delivering the first keynote, Gui Bibeau, Education Lead at the Solana Foundation, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to democratizing technology education and empowering young developers globally. “Consistency and creativity are your greatest assets,” he told the students. “Keep building your next project; it might just be the one that changes the world.”

The hackathon demo session showcased student-led projects across AI, finance, and security.

Highlights included:
Studiq by Eniola Lasisi, an AI-powered learning and lifestyle platform for students.
Our Money (HawaMoni) by Akin Odebiyi, a transparent group finance solution for student teams.
Konnect by Lydia Solomon, a marketplace linking students to nearby campus vendors.

Other innovative entries such as Sling, a decentralized prediction platform, and Sentinel, a blockchain-based security tool, reflected the depth of talent emerging from African universities.

Representing Superteam Lagos, Judith delivered a keynote on behalf of Harry Obi, speaking on “How Superteam is Driving the African Narrative and Involvement in the Web3 Space.” She emphasized the importance of building global opportunities for African talent through collaboration and storytelling.

A panel discussion themed “Connecting Students to Global Opportunities” followed, moderated by Opeyemi Stephen. Panelists included Judith (Superteam Nigeria), Julian Duru (Tech Leader), and Ayo Awosika, Founder of Web3 Bridge Africa and Codex. “There’s a scarcity of talent not because people can’t learn,” noted Duru. “True skill takes time and focus. If you keep building and learning, results will follow.”

In a gesture of empowerment, Ayo Awosika awarded 20 full scholarships to outstanding students for the Web3 Bridge Africa Program, offering advanced blockchain training and mentorship.

The Solana Students Africa Summit 2025 concluded on a high note with the announcement of the Hackathon winners and recognition of exceptional developers whose creativity and technical brilliance stood out throughout the competition.

The Hackathon showcased groundbreaking innovations across five diverse tracks each team demonstrating ingenuity and a deep understanding of how Solana technology can power the future of Web3, DeFi, AI, and Education in Africa.

Each winning team received $1,500 in recognition of their outstanding contributions as follows.
Campus Solana Pay Track – Winner: Konnect ($1,500)
Creator: Lydia Solomon
Konnect is a campus-first marketplace powered by Solana Pay, designed to connect students to goods and services within their campuses. By enabling instant, secure, and transparent payments, it addresses challenges around fragmented campus businesses, discovery, and trust.
Think of it as the “Jumia of Universities,” where student entrepreneurs gain visibility and buyers enjoy a seamless, fraud-free shopping experience.

DeFi + AI Analyst Track – Winner: Sling ($1,500)
Creator: Adole David Enencheje
Sling bridges prediction markets and tokenization, allowing users to take long or short positions on stocks such as the S&P 500, $ORCL, and $MBG directly onchain. Simplifying the process through predictive trading, Sling empowers users to make data-driven investment decisions with its AI-powered screener that aggregates market sentiment and news — all built on Solana.
AI Agent Track – Winner: LyraAI ($1,500)
Creator: Olanrewaju Ademola
LyraAI is an AI-powered financial assistant built to help students budget, save, and invest intelligently through natural, conversational interaction. With features like AI-driven recommendations, expense tracking, and savings automation plus future plans for multi-currency support and Solana DeFi integration, LyraAI redefines what financial empowerment for students looks like.

Education Track
Winner: AfroLearn AI ($1,500)
Creator: Oladepo David
AfroLearn AI is revolutionizing Web3 education in Africa by making Solana development accessible, multilingual, and practical. Through interactive tutorials, real-time AI assistance, and on-chain certifications, AfroLearn AI lowers the barriers to blockchain learning and equips African students to become the next generation of Solana developers.

Meta Data Track – Winner: Token Analysis ($1,500)
Creator: Godswill Ubah
Token Analysis enhances transparency and security in blockchain transactions by providing powerful analytical tools for token activity. Using metrics like wallet similarity detection and transaction size patterns, it helps detect coordinated behaviors, evaluate accumulation strategies, and set new standards for on-chain behavioral analytics.

Reflecting on the event, Opeyemi Stephen, Convener of the Solana Students Africa Summit, expressed gratitude to the students and partners who made the initiative possible. “This summit proves that Africa’s youth are ready to lead the global technology narrative,” he said. “Solana Students Africa is not just a community, it’s a launchpad for builders who believe in the future.”

The Solana Students Africa Summit reaffirmed the continent’s growing reputation as a hub of innovation, spotlighting a generation of young Africans shaping the future of blockchain and Web3 from the heart of Africa’s campuses.