Two student teams from the University of Lagos: Team Overclock and Team Sentinel, stole the spotlight at the prestigious AI4Telco Hackathon held on May 7, 2026, as part of Microsoft’s AI Skills Week Lagos.
AI4Telco Hackathon: A Showcase of Local Talent
Organized by Data Science Nigeria (DSN) in collaboration with Teknowledge, Microsoft and MTN Foundation as Telecom Partner, the AI4Telco Hackathon brought together over twenty (20) teams in an intensive innovation sprint.
The competition tackled critical challenges in risk management, customer analytics, AI‑enabled sustainable power, and workflow productivity. Eight (8) top teams advanced to the finals, presenting their solutions before an audience of over one hundred and twenty (120) industry experts, developers, and ecosystem leaders at the AI Skills Summit.
The hackathon highlighted the power of Nigerian ingenuity, collaboration, and applied AI innovation. With solutions like VoiceIQ and RiskGuard AI, UNILAG students demonstrated that the future of telecom technology is being shaped right here in Lagos.
Team Overclock: Champions of Innovation
Team Overclock, made up of Akeem Jr Odebiyi (Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 200L), Abdulwahab Yusuf (Department of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, 200L), and Remarkable Blessing Esabu (Department of Computer Engineering, 200L), clinched the top prize with their groundbreaking solution, VoiceIQ .
VoiceIQ is a real‑time analytics platform designed for retention managers and customer support teams. By analyzing transaction histories and live call‑center interactions across voice calls, WhatsApp, and SMS, the system empowers telecom operators to proactively engage customers, reduce churn, and deliver best‑in‑class user experiences.
Team Sentinel: Rising Stars (2nd Runner-up)
Team Sentinel comprising Ladipo Samuel (Department of Computer Science, 300L), Favour Olaleru (Department of Mathematics, 300L), Marvellous Ogunleke (Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 300L), and Ifunanya Peace (Graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka {UNN}) secured the second runner-up spot. Their solution, RiskGuard AI , impressed judges with its ability to detect outages early, predict SLA breaches, and minimize revenue loss.
RiskGuard AI connects signals across network systems, billing, and customer complaints in real time, giving telecom operators a powerful tool to respond faster and smarter to incidents.
The Vice‑Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, on behalf of the Senate, staff, and students, congratulates the winning teams for their outstanding achievements, and wishes them success as they continue to reflect UNILAG’s growing reputation as a hub for innovation and applied AI excellence.
