By David Akinmola
in an effort to accelerate digital innovation and rebuild confidence in Nigeria’s insurance sector, Heirs Insurance Group (HIG) has rolled out its maiden hackathon, offering a N9 million prize pool to students of tertiary institutions to develop technology-driven solutions for industry-wide challenges.
The initiative is expected to deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Nigerians by improving claims settlement, enhancing customer experience, and expanding access to affordable insurance products across the country.
The hackathon is open to students in universities, polytechnics, and tertiary institutions, with participants tasked to design solutions across the insurance value chain, including underwriting, claims processing, distribution, data analytics, and operational efficiency.
Registration closes on February 16, 2026, while winning terms will be announced at the grand finale scheduled for April.
Beyond competition, the programme is positioned as a talent pipeline and innovation platform, allowing young Nigerians to apply emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to real business problems within the financial services ecosystem.
Commenting on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer, Heirs Life Assurance, Niyi Onifade, said the hackathon reflects the company’s belief that technology and youth talent are critical to fixing long-standing inefficiencies in the insurance industry.
According to him, empowering students to build practical solutions will not only support industry growth but also improve trust, accessibility, and service delivery for policyholders.
The hackathon is being delivered in partnership with Redtech, the digital payment solutions arm of Heirs Holdings, which will provide technical support and assess submissions based on creativity, feasibility, scalability, and real-world impact.
Also speaking, the Chief Digital Officer, Heirs Insurance Group, Peace Philips, said the programme is designed to give young people the opportunity to apply their ideas and technology skills to real economic challenges, while contributing to a more efficient and inclusive financial system.
