DevCareer, an African developer talent community, has partnered with Nigerian fintech infrastructure provider Nomba to launch a payments-focused hackathon targeting developers across Nigeria.
The hackathon, which opens for registration on 1 May 2025, offers participants direct entry into the Nomba Developer Partner Programme, according to a statement released by DevCareer on 30 April.
The competition invites individual developers and teams to build solutions using Nomba’s application programming interfaces. Projects will be judged on functionality, innovation, user experience, and technical execution.
Structure and Timeline
The hackathon runs through May, beginning with a kickoff session on 3 May that will introduce participants to Nomba’s payment infrastructure, according to the statement.
A submission deadline has been set for 24 May, with finalists to be announced on 26 May. The final pitching session will take place on 31 May.
Winners will receive cash prizes, with a grand prize of 1 million naira (approximately $660) for the top project. Second and third place finishers will receive 750,000 naira and 500,000 naira respectively.
Developer Partner Programme Access
Beyond prize money, the hackathon provides a pathway into the Nomba Developer Partner Programme, which grants developers access to payment infrastructure for commercial applications.
DevCareer did not specify what revenue-sharing terms or technical support the partner programme includes.
Nomba, formerly known as Kudi, operates payment processing infrastructure in Nigeria and provides point of sale terminals, virtual accounts, and payment links for merchants. The company rebranded to Nomba in 2021 and raised $30 million in Series A funding in 2022, according to previous reports.
Context for Nigeria’s Developer Ecosystem
Nigeria remains Africa’s most active technology market by funding volume, with the developer community growing as fintech and software companies expand operations across the continent.
DevCareer, which provides training and community support for African developers, has run multiple skills programmes since its founding. The organisation has not disclosed how many developers have participated in previous initiatives.
The payments hackathon represents a targeted effort to connect developers with commercial fintech infrastructure, a model used by other African fintech firms including Paystack and Flutterwave, which operate developer-focused programmes to expand their ecosystem reach.
Hackathons have become a standard talent acquisition and product development tool for fintech companies across Africa. They offer developers hands on experience with commercial APIs while allowing companies to identify potential partners and hires.
DevCareer has not announced whether similar hackathons with other fintech providers are planned for 2025.
Registration details for the Nomba hackathon are available through DevCareer’s website and social media channels.