NIMASA Opens Hackathon 2026 to All Nigerians Over 18

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced the removal of the age restriction for participation in its National Innovation Hackathon 2026, part of the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP). This decision follows widespread demand from Nigerians wishing to engage in the initiative.

The NIMASA-BEAP application portal is now open to all Nigerians aged 18 years and above, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, or educational background. NIMASA encourages innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, developers, engineers, artisans, graduates, and students to apply at no cost.

The National Innovation Hackathon is scheduled for December 2026 and aims to identify innovative solutions to challenges and opportunities within Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy. The Hackathon will feature 13 innovation tracks, including maritime technology and logistics, maritime safety, green shipping, seafarer welfare, port digitisation, marine waste management, aquaculture, coastal fishing, ocean data analytics, nature-based coastal defence, marine tourism, marine biotechnology, and deep seabed mining technologies and research.