Eko Innovation Centre has announced the return of MarkHack, Nigeria’s first hackathon at the intersection of media, marketing, and tech at a launch event held at the Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, over the weekend.
Following the success of MarkHack 1.0, this year’s edition, MarkHack 2.0, promises to redefine the future of marketing and media by fostering innovation and collaboration among professionals, students, and entrepreneurs. The hackathon aims to provide media and tech solutions that can disrupt marketing in key focus areas such as Consumer Experience, Media Consumption, Consumer Interaction, Trade and Retail Engagement, Analytics and Metrics, Events Marketing, Media Monetization, and Content Creation
With the creative industry being Nigeria’s second-largest employer and the potential to generate 7 million jobs by 2025, Victor Afolabi, the Founder of Eko Innovation Centre and Convener of MarkHack 2.0, emphasized the importance of innovation in steering the industry’s growth.
He stated, “The rise of digital media, social platforms, and technology usage has made the creative industries one of the most dynamic sectors globally. MarkHack 2.0 provides a platform for collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking to disrupt the creative market and to provide a platform for them to showcase their ideas to Potential Investors.”
The call for participation garnered an overwhelming response, with 1,365 participants from 92 locations across Europe, Asia, and Africa submitting their entries. From the registered participants, 230 teams were formed to brainstorm innovative ideas, concepts, and prototypes in three focus areas: Immersive Experience (XR) -57 teams, Content Creation- 119 Teams , and Robo Marketing- 54 Teams.
The MarkHack 2.0 pitch event will be judged by 22 industry experts, who will select the top ten teams to advance to the finals. The final winners, chosen by a panel of seven esteemed jurors, will share a prize pool of $10,000 and gain the opportunity to join the Eko Innovation Centre accelerator programme with up to $50,000 equity investment.
The launch event featured a keynote address by the Managing Director of Redwood Consulting, Hannah Oyebanjo, titled: “Marketing and Media in the Creative Economy-Trends and Innovative Solutions for a Future Ready Industry.”
