About this opportunity
N-ATLAS, the Nigerian Atlas for Languages and AI at Scale, is the centre of this challenge. It is a large language model fine-tuned from Llama-3 8B that supports Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Nigerian-accented English, and it comes with Automatic Speech Recognition for voice applications. NITDA, the National Information Technology Development Agency, has built the challenge to push Nigerian talent towards tools and services that actually use that model rather than sit beside it.
You pick one problem statement, and each team may submit to only one. The first asks you to build the tools that make N-ATLAS easy to build with, meaning developer tooling, fine-tuned models, datasets and ecosystem contributions. The second asks you to build applications for Nigerians who do not type, which is the voice-first track and covers services in the languages people actually speak. The third asks you to fine-tune N-ATLAS for high-impact Nigerian sectors such as health, agriculture, education, legal services and financial inclusion.
Two applicant routes are open. Academia and research teams need a lead who is enrolled in or employed by an accredited Nigerian university or research institution, plus an institutional endorsement letter signed by a Head of Department or equivalent. Innovation and enterprise applicants must be Nigerian citizens aged 18 or above as individuals, or companies registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Teams of two to five members apply here, and diaspora teams need at least half of their members based in Nigeria.
The support is structured in stages rather than a single prize. Everyone gets technical clinics, office hours, N-ATLAS onboarding and reference materials. Shortlisted teams receive N-ATLAS API credentials, compute credits through partner infrastructure, technical mentorship during the acceleration phase, help hardening their builds, an invitation to the Nigeria AI Innovators Summit, inclusion in the NITDA AI talent registry and priority consideration for government AI pilots. Winners then move into research-lab partnerships, co-contributor credit on N-ATLAS, publication and model-card support, or a government procurement pathway review, ONDI incubation support and investor introductions, depending on their track.
What you receive
- N-ATLAS API credentials for shortlisted teams
- Compute credits through partner infrastructure during the acceleration phase
- Technical mentorship and support to strengthen and harden your build
- Invitation to the Nigeria AI Innovators Summit and inclusion in the NITDA AI talent registry
- Priority consideration for government AI pilots
- For academia and research winners, an NCAIR research-lab partnership, N-ATLAS co-contributor credit, Federal Government recognition, and publication and model-card support
- For innovation and enterprise winners, a government procurement pathway review, ONDI incubation support, investor introductions and inclusion in the national AI startup directory
- Technical clinics, office hours, N-ATLAS onboarding support, university roadshows and ecosystem briefings for all applicants
Who can apply
- All team members are Nigerian citizens or the applicant is a registered Nigerian entity
- Your submission is original work that has not been awarded in another competition
- You submit to only one of the three problem statements
- Your submission includes a functioning technical artefact integrated with N-ATLAS
- Your application and supporting materials are in English
- Academia and research teams are led by someone enrolled in or employed by an accredited Nigerian university or research institution
- Innovation and enterprise individuals are Nigerian citizens aged 18 or above, and company applicants are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission
- Innovation and enterprise teams have two to five members, and diaspora teams have at least 50 percent of members based in Nigeria
Who should not apply
- Work previously awarded in another competition is not eligible
- A team may not submit to more than one problem statement
- Submissions without a functioning technical artefact integrated with N-ATLAS do not pass the integration check
- Non-Nigerian citizens and entities not registered in Nigeria are outside the eligibility rules
Documents to prepare
- A completed application on the ONDI innovation portal for your chosen track
- For academia and research applicants, an institutional endorsement letter signed by your Head of Department or equivalent
- For enterprise applicants, Corporate Affairs Commission registration details where a company applies
- A description of your submission and the problem statement you are addressing
- A functioning technical artefact integrated with N-ATLAS, with supporting materials in English
How to apply
- Read the three problem statements on the official challenge page at https://ncair.nitda.gov.ng/naic/ and choose the one your build fits
- Form your team within the rules for your track, keeping in mind that one team submits to one problem statement only
- Register and apply on the official portal at https://ondi.innox.africa/apply/naic/naic-innovation-enterprise, or use the academia and research route at https://ondi.innox.africa/apply/naic/naic-academic-research
- Build your artefact against N-ATLAS during the build and submission period, which runs from 22 September to 12 October 2026
- Submit before 12 October 2026 at 11:59 PM WAT, since administrative checks run on a rolling basis after that
- Prepare for the N-ATLAS integration check scheduled for 15 to 17 October 2026
Selection process
- Applications opened on 22 September 2026 and the build and submission period closes on 12 October 2026 at 11:59 PM WAT
- Administrative checks run on a rolling basis
- The N-ATLAS integration check takes place from 15 to 17 October 2026
- Notifications go out between 16 and 20 October 2026
- The mentorship phase runs from 25 October to 4 November 2026
- Finals are showcased at the Digital Nigeria Showcase from 8 to 10 November 2026
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
What is N-ATLAS?
N-ATLAS, the Nigerian Atlas for Languages and AI at Scale, is Nigeria’s first open-source multilingual large language model. It is fine-tuned from Llama-3 8B, supports Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Nigerian-accented English, and includes Automatic Speech Recognition for voice applications.
Can my team apply to more than one problem statement?
No. Each team may submit to only one problem statement.
Is there a cash prize?
No cash prize is published for this challenge. The support is in kind, with API credentials, compute credits, mentorship, incubation, procurement pathway review and investor introductions depending on your track and how far you progress.
Can a diaspora team apply?
Yes, for the innovation and enterprise track, provided at least 50 percent of the team members are based in Nigeria.
What makes a submission pass the technical bar?
Every submission must include a functioning technical artefact integrated with N-ATLAS. There is a dedicated N-ATLAS integration check from 15 to 17 October 2026.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
