Open Call for National AI Innovation Challenge (Nigeria)

The National AI Innovation Challenge 2026 is a build-only opportunity that invites Nigerian universities, research institutions, startups, technology companies, social enterprises, independent developers, and innovation hubs to create working tools and applications integrated with N-ATLAS. The programme is implemented by NCAIR (Nigeria Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics) and ONDI (Office of Digital Innovation, per the programme text), focused on deepening Nigeria’s sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. Applications open on 22 September 2026 and close on 12 October 2026 at 11:59 PM (WAT). Opportunity at a Glance

- Opportunity name: National AI Innovation Challenge 2026: Build with N-ATLAS

- Provider / programme owner: NCAIR (Nigeria Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics) — programme page: https://ncair.nitda.gov.ng/naic/

- Opportunity type: Build-only national challenge (working artefacts required)

- Core requirement: Submit a functioning solution integrated with N-ATLAS (Nigeria’s open-source multilingual large language model)

- Eligible applicants (high level): Nigerian university/research teams; registered companies/startups/social enterprises; independent developers; innovation hubs

- Eligible location(s): Nigeria-focused; all team members must be Nigerian citizens or registered Nigerian entities

- Problem statements (choose one):

- Developer Infrastructure - Voice-First Access - Sectoral Fine-Tuning

- Applications open: 22 September 2026

- Application deadline: 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM (WAT)

- Notable dates:

- N-ATLAS integration check: 15–17 October 2026

- Shortlisting notification: 16–20 October 2026

- Mentorship phase (acceleration): 25 October – 4 November 2026

- Digital Nigeria Showcase (finals): 8–10 November 2026

- Funding amount: Not specified in the source text

- Application link: “Apply Now” appears on the programme page, but the specific URL is Not specified in the source text (use the official page)

About the Opportunity

The National AI Innovation Challenge is designed to move Nigeria’s sovereign AI capabilities forward from model availability to national infrastructure. The centre of the challenge is N-ATLAS (Nigerian Atlas for Languages and AI at Scale), described as Nigeria’s first open-source, multilingual large language model. The challenge directs Nigerian talent to build practical solutions on top of N-ATLAS, including developer tooling, voice-first applications (using speech recognition), and sector-specific adaptations. Funding and Benefits

- Financial support: Not specified in the source text.

- Support during the challenge (for all applicants): - Technical clinics and office hours - N-ATLAS onboarding support - Technical resources and reference materials - University roadshows - Ecosystem briefings - Acceleration support (for shortlisted teams): - N-ATLAS API credentials - Compute credits through partner infrastructure - Technical mentorship during the acceleration phase - Support to strengthen and harden builds - Invitations to the Nigeria AI Innovators Summit - Inclusion in the NITDA AI talent registry - Priority consideration for government AI pilots - Recognition and opportunities (for winners):

- Academia & Research:

- NCAIR research-lab partnership - N-ATLAS co-contributor credit - Federal Government recognition - Publication and model-card support - Inclusion in the National AI researcher registry

- Innovation & Enterprise:

- Government procurement pathway review - ONDI incubation support - Investor introductions - N-ATLAS API integration support - Inclusion in the National AI startup directory Who Is Eligible? You may apply if you meet the general requirements and the additional requirements for your chosen track. General Requirements - All team members must be Nigerian citizens or registered Nigerian entities. - Submission must be original work and not previously awarded in another competition. - Each team may submit to only one problem statement (per submission cycle). - Every submission must include a functioning technical artefact integrated with N-ATLAS. - Applications and supporting materials must be in English. Not Eligible - Non-Nigerian citizens or entities - Previously awarded submissions - Concept-only proposals without working builds - Solutions not integrated with N-ATLAS

Track Eligibility: Academia & Research

- Team lead must be enrolled in or employed by an accredited Nigerian university or research institution - Institutional endorsement letter signed by Head of Department (or equivalent)

- Team size: 2–5 members

- At least one enrolled student or postgraduate researcher - A faculty supervisor

Track Eligibility: Innovation & Enterprise

- Individual applicants: Nigerian citizens aged 18 or above

- Company applicants: must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

- Diaspora participation: diaspora teams must have at least 50% of members based in Nigeria

- Team size: 2–5 members

- Submitting organizations should be registered where applicable (CAC certificate requirement is stated in build/endorsement requirements) Eligible Activities or Priority Areas Applicants must choose one problem statement. All problem statements require genuine N-ATLAS integration.

1) Developer Infrastructure

Build tools that make N-ATLAS easier to build with, including infrastructure, documentation, and developer tooling to integrate, test, adapt, and deploy N-ATLAS.

Example solutions (as listed):

- Python or JavaScript SDK with clean abstractions over N-ATLAS endpoints - Interactive browser-based playground for testing N-ATLAS outputs - Fine-tuning starter kit with training scripts and evaluation tools - Bilingual developer documentation with working examples

Who should apply: Teams with expertise in developer tooling, model integration, documentation, or AI engineering.

Key requirement: The solution must directly integrate with N-ATLAS. Wrapping another general-purpose model does not qualify.

2) Voice-First Access