By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Mobile Circularity
Hackathon Finals have concluded at the 6th African Youth SDGs Summit in Accra,
with three innovative teams receiving prototyping grants to transform their
circular economy solutions into scalable enterprises.
The competition culminated
after two days of masterclasses, community research presentations, and an
intensive innovation sprint focused on developing technology-driven solutions
to address Africa's growing electronic waste challenge.
Ghanaian team E-waste
Marshalls secured the Gold Award and a USD 10,000 UniPod prototyping grant for
its solution aimed at improving compliance with Ghana's electronic waste
regulations. The platform connects corporate ICT e-waste generators with
certified recyclers while promoting responsible e-waste management and
increasing public awareness of sustainable disposal practices.
The Silver Award,
accompanied by a USD 7,000 prototyping grant, was presented to E-Cycle Connect
for developing a digital marketplace that links consumers, e-waste collectors,
and certified recyclers. The platform is designed to improve transparency and
efficiency in electronic waste collection while creating new economic
opportunities within Africa's emerging mobile circular economy.
Nkabom received the Bronze
Award and a USD 5,000 prototyping grant for its community-based circular
economy initiative, which encourages the collection of end-of-life electronic
devices and converts electronic waste into commercially valuable products and
affordable clean-energy solutions.
Beyond the financial awards,
the winning teams will receive continued support through UniPod innovation
centres across Africa, where they will have access to co-working spaces,
prototyping facilities, mentorship, and innovation networks to help develop their
concepts into sustainable businesses.
Organizers said the
post-competition support is intended to ensure that promising ideas progress
beyond the hackathon stage and contribute to the development of commercially
viable enterprises capable of addressing environmental and socio-economic
challenges.
The Mobile Circularity
Hackathon forms part of broader efforts to promote sustainable innovation,
responsible electronic waste management, and youth entrepreneurship by
equipping young innovators with the resources and technical support needed to
build scalable solutions for Africa's digital and environmental future.
The competition was held as
part of the 6th African Youth SDGs Summit, which brings together young
innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and development partners to advance
solutions that contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals across the continent.
