Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and its fintech subsidiary HabariPay have announced a mentorship and talent development programme for students and young tech professionals following the end of Squad Hackathon 3.0 in Lagos.
The companies made the announcement during the grand finale of the hackathon held at the GTCentre.
According to the organisers, more than 1,600 students and innovators from universities across Nigeria applied for the competition. After reviews of team structures, technical skills and GitHub portfolios, over 600 applicants were shortlisted, while more than 500 participants reached the final stage.
Participants presented technology solutions focused on artificial intelligence, automation, digital inclusion and productivity systems.
Team Block X from Obafemi Awolowo University won the competition with Guild, an AI-powered platform designed to connect informal workers with employers and financial services.
The three-member team included Treasure Uvietobore, Naheem Olaide and Enoch Idowu.
The platform features a Nigerian English voice agent named Tola, which helps workers find jobs, process payments through the Squad platform and build transaction records that could support access to banking services and credit.
Group chief executive officer of GTCO Segun Agbaje described the hackathon as a platform for developing technology talents through practical problem-solving.
“You are the best of the best. Everybody who made it into this room today is already a winner,” he said.
Agbaje also urged participants to focus on teamwork, resilience and integrity.
Managing director of HabariPay Eduofon Japhet said the mentorship initiative was created to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical work experience.
“We realised there is still a gap between classroom theory and practical problem-solving,” she said.
Japhet said selected participants would receive technical training, tuition support and possible employment opportunities within HabariPay and the GTCO ecosystem.
She added that the programme would run as a long-term initiative rather than a one-time project.
Other projects presented at the hackathon included Tracker, an AI-powered workforce monitoring platform developed by University of Lagos student Sherif Sani.
The organisers said details about applications, selection process and timelines for the mentorship programme would be released on GTCO and HabariPay’s official channels.
