USPF Seeks Entries For N10m Tech Innovation Challenge, Targets 23m Underserved

The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has launched a nationwide technology innovation challenge to identify and support homegrown digital solutions capable of addressing challenges confronting an estimated 23.37 million Nigerians living in unserved and underserved communities.

The initiative known as the USPF Changemaker Challenge, is expected to attract innovation teams and early-stage startups from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with a N10 million prize pool and a four-week incubation programme for selected finalists.

The competition, implemented in partnership with Ubulu Africa, opened applications on November 2 and will close on November 15, 2026.

The initiative comes amid concerns over Nigeria’s persistent digital divide, particularly in rural communities where limited telecommunications infrastructure and poor access to digital services continue to constrain economic and social development.

According to the USPF’s 2024 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) gap study, 87 clusters, with an estimated population of 23.37 million people, are located in areas classified as unserved or underserved, with little or no access to telecommunications services.

The study highlights the scale of the challenge facing the country’s digital inclusion agenda, as millions of Nigerians remain unable to fully benefit from digital opportunities in agriculture, education, healthcare, financial services and other critical sectors.

Under the competition, applicants are expected to develop practical ICT-enabled solutions addressing problems in five priority areas: agriculture, education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and clean and affordable energy.

The Fund said entries would be assessed based on their ICT components, relevance to identified problem statements and evidence that the proposed solutions could work effectively for their intended beneficiaries.

Speaking on the initiative, the chief executive officer of Ubulu Africa, Dr Odiong Akpan, said innovation should not be restricted by geographical location, urging Nigerian entrepreneurs to develop solutions that respond to challenges in underserved communities.

“Innovation should not be limited by geography. Through the USPF Changemaker Challenge, we want to reach innovators across Nigeria who understand the challenges facing unserved and underserved communities and have practical solutions to address them,” Akpan said.

He added that the competition would provide an opportunity for teams with promising technology-based solutions to demonstrate their ideas and access support to develop them further.

The selection process will see 50 teams advance after the initial screening, comprising one team from each of the 36 states and the FCT, alongside 13 additional teams selected based on merit.

The selected teams will present their innovations at regional demonstration events organised across the six geopolitical zones, with one team from each zone progressing to the National Demo Day.

At the national event, the top three teams will share the N10 million prize pool, while all six finalists will participate in a four-week incubation programme designed to strengthen their solutions and improve their prospects for implementation.

To qualify, applicants must be Nigerian-based innovation teams or early-stage startups comprising between two and five members, with all members aged 18 and above.

The company that participation is free. Further information is available on the challenge website, https://uspfchangemaker.ng

Meanwhile, the challenge represents another intervention by the Fund to promote digital inclusion through targeted partnerships and initiatives aimed at extending the benefits of ICT to communities that remain outside the country’s expanding digital economy.