Business
MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape
MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape
In what has proven to be game changing and a first-of-its-kind in the Nigerian media and marketing space, winning innovations have emerged at the grand finale of the maiden edition of Nigeria’s first marketing and media Hackathon tagged ‘MarkHack 1.0’ organized by the Eko Innovation Centre in collaboration with GDM Group.
LiveBIc, which comprised Shadrach Akao and Ernest Ogbanefe emerged the overall winners from a list of 10 finalists involved in the pitch at the finals of the hackathon. LiveBIc won the star prize of $10,000 for developing a new platform for content creators to market and deliver their content.
Sprayme clinched the second position and $4,000 prize money for innovating a new way for social gifting and content monetization; Reelbuzz emerged the third winner with $3,000 for creating an intuitive platform that helps brands connect and command higher brand loyalty; Innovatoras took the fourth position as well as $2,000 prize money for directing the leads for businesses and turning them to paying customers and Monify Cookies, fifth position with $1,000 for developing a browser tool that provides its users the ability to block all unsolicited ads and earn money from allowed ads.
The winners and runners-up will also get working space at Eko Innovation Centre, while all ten (10) finalists will have access to join the EIC accelerator program and GITEX Global pitch event in Dubai.
Recall, that the best 10 teams with the most viable concepts went head-to-head at the finale for the $20,000 prize pool and an acceleration programme with up to $50K equity investment to get their products ready for the market among other benefits.
Speaking on the initiative and what inspired it, Victor Afolabi, Founder, of Eko Innovation Centre, and Curator MarkHack 1.0 said, MarkHack 1.0 is a gathering of innovators, entrepreneurs, Policymakers, and Marketing Professionals, to create solutions to real-life Marketing challenges in an intense period of time. Using creativity, technology, and mentoring, resulting in prototypes, fresh new concepts, and innovative usages of tech for Marketing and Media.
He added that “Seeing how technology has disrupted global industries all over the world, we perceived that the marketing and media industry was ripe for disruption.
However, they are two things, it is either we collaborate with stakeholders in the industry to create the disruption we anticipate or we allow disruption to happen to us, and we choose to do the former.”
“The former involves working with over 100 organisations and representatives from the various organisations to co-create together and disrupt that which we anticipate. That co-creation gave birth to what we call MarkHack. We brought together experts in the industry across sectorial groups from clients, agencies, professionals, technology experts, venture capitalists, policymakers, regulators and we all came together to come to create the MarkHack,” he said.
On his part, Hakeem Popoola Fahm, Commissioner of Science and Technology, Lagos State applauded the organizers for the laudable initiative and stated that it is a testament to the success of Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to making Lagos a smart city by digitalizing its operations and providing an enabling environment for technology innovations to be given birth to.
He added that MarkHack 1.0 has shown that Marketers and media practitioners can digitalize operations and the state government would continue to support the ecosystem.
Similarly, the Special Adviser, Innovation and Technology to the Governor of Lagos State, Tubosun Alake said the government has been supporting various research works through Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) across multiple industries including the marketing industry and it won’t rest on its oars in actualizing the smart city agenda of the present administration.
Earlier in the programme, the President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Idorenyen Enang while delivering his keynote address at the event urged marketers to continue to innovate, and know how to use their channels effectively.
He had also emphasized that marketing is not merely about integrated marketing communication, adding that innovators require to follow laid-down principles of marketing.
Similarly, in a fireside chat, Franklin Ozekhome, CEO & Head of Growth, Identiture Africa; Seyi Tinubu, CEO/Chairman, Loatsad Promomedia; and Muyiwa Aleshinloye, Head of Marketing, Wakanow called on marketers to take advantage of technology to grow their brands as Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, and others are being deployed to ease business operations.
The organizers of the event, Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group revealed that over 500 individuals registered to participate in the hackathon from 72 locations, 5 countries (which includes Nigeria, California- USA, Kenya, Pakistan, and London), and 3 continents (Africa, Europe, and North America).
The participants were split into teams of 5 and were required to work together for 3 weeks, brainstorm, and come up with new concepts based on their areas of focus.
They were also sub-grouped into 8 focus areas which include consumer experience, media consumption, consumer recruitment & interaction, trade & retail engagement, analytics and metrics, events marketing, media monetization, and content creation.
Each team pitched their ideas to a respected Jury of experts in the subject matter, and the best 10 teams were picked by the Jurors before only five emerged winners at the grand finale. Overall, the hackathon had 21 Mentors, 30 Selection Jurors, 8 Speakers, and 8 Final Jurors who partook in the event and are the industry’s best with decades of experience in marketing, media, technology, and business management, and others.
The winners were judged by professionals which include Steve Babaeko, CEO/Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas & President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria; Iquo Ukoh, Director, Board of Directors, Letshego Microfinance Bank Ltd; Uwem Uwemakpan, Cofounder of Ingressive Capital; Tolulope Tomori Adedeji, Marketing Director, Anheuser-Busch InBev; and Debola Williams, Group CEO at Red Africa.
Others are Joseph Agunbiade, Cofounder, BudgIt; Kayode Oladapo, Assistant Regional Manager for Zone AOA (Africa, Oceania, and Asia), Nestle; and Jide Sipe, Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Ecobank Nigeria.
The Izuogu Z-600: Africa’s Lost Automotive Revolution.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In 1997, a remarkable feat of African innovation unfolded in the heart of Imo State, Nigeria. Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, a brilliant electrical engineer and senior lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, unveiled what would become Africa’s first indigenous automobile: the Izuogu Z-600. It was more than a car, it was a symbol of African ingenuity, resilience and ambition. Aptly described by the BBC as the “African dream machine” the Z-600 was designed with 90% of its parts sourced locally. Its estimated retail price of just $2,000 had the potential to revolutionize transportation and economic empowerment across the continent.
A Vision Beyond Engineering
Dr. Izuogu’s dream went beyond building a car. His vision was to catalyze an industrial revolution in Nigeria, particularly in Igboland. The Z-600 was equipped with a self-made 1.8L four-cylinder engine, delivering 18 miles per gallon and reaching top speeds of 140 km/h. Front-wheel drive (FWD) was selected over rear-wheel drive (RWD) to reduce production costs, demonstrating a keen understanding of localized engineering solutions. The car was a marvel not just of machinery, but of determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
According to Dr. Izuogu, “If this car gets to mass production, Nigeria and Africa will no longer be the dumping ground for foreign cars.”
Initial Government Support and the Abandonment
Recognizing the car’s potential, the late General Sani Abacha’s administration constituted a 12-member panel of engineering experts to assess the Z-600’s roadworthiness. The committee gave the car a clean bill of health, recommending only minor cosmetic refinements. At the high-profile unveiling attended by over 20 foreign diplomats, the Nigerian government, represented by General Oladipo Diya, pledged a ₦235 million grant to support mass production.
However, like many well-meaning promises in Nigerian politics, this pledge remained unfulfilled. Not a single naira was released to Dr. Izuogu. Despite having passed official assessments and earning international interest, the Z-600 project was left to languish.
Dr. Izuogu lamented, “This was an opportunity for Nigeria to rise industrially, but it was squandered.”
Economic and Technological Loss
In 2006, a tragedy that seemed almost conspiratorial struck the Izuogu Motors factory in Naze, Imo State. At about 2:00 a.m. on March 11, twelve armed men invaded the facility, making away with vital components: the design history notebook, the Z-MASS design file for mass production, engine molds, crankshafts, pistons, camshafts and flywheels. Over ten years of research and development, worth over ₦1 billion, was effectively erased overnight.
“It seems that the target of this robbery is to stop the efforts we are making to mass-produce the first ever locally made car in Africa,” Dr. Izuogu said.
This was not just a loss to a single man, but a national economic tragedy. The theft of intellectual property on such a scale is rare and the fact that no serious investigation followed speaks volumes about the apathy toward indigenous innovation.
South African Opportunity and Another Betrayal
In 2005, a glimmer of hope emerged. The South African government, after seeing presentations of the Z-600, invited Dr. Izuogu to pitch the vehicle to a panel of top engineers. Enthralled by the innovation, South Africa offered to help set up a plant for mass production. Though flattered, Dr. Izuogu hesitated. His dream was for Nigeria to be the birthplace of an African industrial revolution not merely an exporter of talent.
Nevertheless, facing continuous neglect at home, he reluctantly began exploring the opportunity. Sadly, the robbery of 2006 dealt a final blow to this dream.
The Broader African Context
The story of the Z-600 is emblematic of a broader African malaise: the systemic failure to support indigenous innovation. According to Dr. Peter Eneh, a development economist, “Africa’s greatest tragedy is not poverty but the consistent sabotage of local ideas and talents by political inertia.”
In India, the Tata Nano was developed and rolled out in 2008, five years after Nigeria had the opportunity to lead the cheap car revolution. While the Indian government supported Tata Group with infrastructure and policy backing, Nigeria allowed politics and indifference to kill its golden goose.
As Prof. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, founder of the African Institution of Technology, noted, “Innovation dies not from lack of talent in Africa, but from institutional hostility.”
Lessons for Africa
The Izuogu Z-600 should be taught in engineering schools and policymaking institutions across Africa. It is a case study in potential wasted due to governance failure, insecurity and lack of strategic investment. The car could have generated thousands of jobs, stimulated related industries and positioned Nigeria as a pioneer in low-cost automobile manufacturing.
Instead, we mourn a lost opportunity. Dr. Izuogu’s death in 2020 closed the chapter on what might have been Africa’s most transformative technological breakthrough.
Lessons from a Forgotten Dream
Africa must learn from this colossal failure, innovation must be protected. Talent must be supported. Local entrepreneurs must be seen as national assets not nuisances.
Dr. Izuogu once said, “Our problem is not brains; our problem is the environment.” That statement still rings painfully true today.
The Tragedy of Unfulfilled Innovation
The Z-600 was not just a car but a movement, it was hope and proof that Africans can dream, design and deliver; but then dreams need nurturing. Ideas need investment. Hope needs a system that works.
Let the Z-600 remind us that the future is not given, it is made. And Africa, despite its challenges, still holds the power to create.
As the Nigerian-American businesswoman Ndidi Nwuneli puts it, “If Africa is to rise, it must learn to trust and invest in its own people.”
Let us never again allow another Z-600 to die.
Business
Global Trailblazers to Be Honoured as Expatriates Business Awards 2025 Unveils Grand Celebration in Lagos
Global Trailblazers to Be Honoured as Expatriates Business Awards 2025 Unveils Grand Celebration in Lagos
The stage is set for the 2025 Expatriates Business Awards (EBA), a prestigious celebration of global enterprise and diversity shaping Nigeria’s economic landscape. Scheduled for Sunday, July 6th, 2025, at the Grand Ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event promises to be a night of elegance, culture, and recognition of foreign excellence driving local growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, Miss Odunola Abayomi, Director of Awards, highlighted the event’s bold vision: to honour the transformative contributions of expatriates, foreign businesses, and migrant communities in Nigeria.
“Today, we celebrate a vision that transcends borders,” she said. “This award is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those who have invested, innovated, and contributed immensely to Nigeria’s economy.”
Now in its fifth year, the Expatriates Business Awards—originally launched in 2020 as The Ethnic Business Awards (TEBA)—has evolved into a premier platform spotlighting global entrepreneurship within Nigeria’s borders. Past editions have featured high-profile hosts like media personality Daddy Freeze and Ghanaian actress Ella Mensah, setting a benchmark for excellence and inclusivity.
This year’s ceremony will feature a vibrant mix of exhibitions, music, comedy, and cultural performances, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and celebrating shared economic progress. The selection process is already underway, combining public nominations, opinion polls, and independent research to ensure transparent, merit-based recognition.
Powered by Pun Communications Ltd. and presented under the TEBA Foundation for Humanity, the event continues to uphold values of integrity, excellence, and impact.
“Nigeria is not just a destination; it’s a global opportunity hub,” Miss Abayomi added. “We invite the media, diplomatic corps, business leaders, and the international community to join us in celebrating the global heartbeat of Nigerian enterprise.”
For sponsorships, media inquiries, or ticket information, visit: www.theethnicbusinessawards.com
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