Team MoMo Coverti, comprising Lukman Seidu and Fatima Abubakari, has emerged as the winner of the Northern Ghana Zonal Hackathon organised by MobileMoney Fintech Limited under its MoMo Fintech Lab initiative. The team secured a place at the national competition scheduled for December 30 in Accra. MoMo Coverti attributed its victory to thorough preparation, extensive research, consultations, and careful analysis of data. The Northern Ghana Zonal Hackathon brought together young innovators to develop technology-driven solutions to practical challenges, focusing on agricultural technology and financial services.
The Chief Executive Officer of MobileMoney Fintech Limited, Shaibu Haruna, urged participants to develop practical, customer-focused financial technology solutions that address local challenges and contribute to national development. He stressed the need to identify and support talented young people across the country, arguing that innovation should not be concentrated in major cities. The MoMo Fintech Lab was established to identify promising innovators, equip them with practical skills, and connect them to mentorship, industry networks, and other resources needed to develop responsible and scalable fintech solutions.
According to Shaibu Haruna, the national call for applications attracted 1,791 submissions from students, developers, entrepreneurs, and early-stage founders across Ghana's 16 regions. Of the total, 249 applicants selected Tamale as their preferred innovation hub, with 20 teams advancing to the Northern Zone bootcamp. The strong response demonstrated the readiness of young people to shape the future of financial technology, but many required practical guidance and institutional support to transform their ideas into viable solutions.
The CEO described the strong interest in agricultural technology among applicants in the Northern Zone as encouraging, noting that technology and financial services could help address challenges facing farmers, processors, aggregators, traders, and other actors along the agricultural value chain. He cautioned participants against developing solutions based solely on technological possibilities without first understanding the problems they intended to solve.
Shaibu Haruna announced that the four strongest solutions from the Northern Zone would progress to the national stage, joining finalists from Kumasi and Accra to form the final 12 teams. He underscored the importance of teamwork, explaining that successful fintech solutions often require a combination of technical expertise, marketing, regulatory knowledge, business operations, and an understanding of customer behaviour.
The MoMo Fintech Lab initiative seeks to strengthen Ghana's fintech ecosystem by supporting emerging entrepreneurs, promoting job creation, and connecting innovators to opportunities that can help turn promising ideas into sustainable businesses. The Northern Zone hackathon is part of a broader effort to expand innovation beyond Accra and encourage solutions that meet local needs while offering potential for wider national impact.
The top 12 finalists for the Northern Ghana Zone bootcamp were announced, with MoMo Coverti securing the first position. Other teams that made it to the top 12 include Payitbetta, Momoney0, Adaashi, L3xi, Bpos Paysync, Cropvault, MoMo Susu Circle, Harvest Gold, My Pesewas Health, Credipay, and Momobiz. The MoMo Fintech Lab has provided a platform for young innovators to develop solutions that can address local challenges and contribute to national development.
Key points
- Team MoMo Coverti wins Northern Ghana Zonal Hackathon
- National competition scheduled for December 30 in Accra
- MoMo Fintech Lab initiative aims to strengthen Ghana's fintech ecosystem
