As part of the landmark MarkHack 5.0 Conference, the 2nd edition of The Nigeria MarTech Award, held on Friday, 5th June 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, took center stage; a prestigious event dedicated to recognizing innovators, startups, and organizations revolutionizing Nigeria’s marketing landscape through technology. The initiative celebrates excellence in marketing technology and fosters a thriving ecosystem where creativity, data-driven insights, and AI-powered innovation drive growth and engagement across Nigeria and Africa.
The awards evening, held at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, was organized by GDM Group, Nigeria’s leading marketing and media technology company, EkoInnovation Centre, a renowned startup accelerator, and in collaboration with Brand Communicator, the foremost voice in the marketing and communications industry. The program opened with the National Anthem and the introduction of distinguished guests by the compere, followed by a welcome address from Joshua Ajayi, Founder of Brand Communicator and CEO of Awesome Communications, who emphasized the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and AI in shaping the future of marketing and media in Africa. This was complemented by a goodwill message from Tubosun Alake, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State, reinforcing government support for the advancement of marketing technology and innovation.
A keynote session by Dr. Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, Founder of Eko Innovation Centre, titled “Why MarkHack? The Journey So Far,” provided reflections on the evolution of marketing innovation and the role of startups and technology in shaping the African marketing ecosystem.
The awards night recognized outstanding contributions across multiple categories. The nominees for each award category were selected based on innovation, impact, and relevance. Their profiles were made publicly accessible via a dedicated awards portal, allowing stakeholders, industry practitioners, and the general public to vote for their preferred innovators. The voting process was conducted through a transparent online platform, designed for fairness and ease of access, enabling participants to review contributions and make informed choices. The entries with the highest overall scores and votes were ultimately recognized as winners, honoring individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on Nigeria’s marketing and technology ecosystem. Notable award recipients included the Data & Insights Excellence Award presented to OlawandeMayungbo, Retail Technology Platform of the Year awarded to OmniRetail, AI-Driven Content Creator of the Year to Comfort Obiagbaoso (Comfietech), AI-Powered Banking Experience of the Year to ALAT by Wema, AI Innovation in Betting, Gaming & Entertainment to BetKing, and AI Innovation in Film & Content Production to Makemation. The CMO Digital Transformation & Growth Award went to Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, while the CMO Innovation & Future Impact Award was presented to Ilyas Kazeem (Male Category) and Majolie Obaje (Female Category). Finally, the AI-Generated FMCG Campaign of the Year was awarded to Three Crowns.
The evening also featured the MarkHack 5.0 Hackathon, which added a dynamic competitive element. A total of 74 startups participated in the pitching sessions across MarkHack5.0 focus areas: Data & Insights, Economics of Experience, Human-Centered AI, and Content Creation. Following a rigorous process and one month of mentorship, six startups advanced to the final day: Market Navigators, Adminting, Movable Games, Edenn, Lena, and Readversity. During the final pitches, Team Lena emerged as the overall winner, demonstrating exceptional creativity, strategic insight, and application of AI-driven marketing solutions. Team Market Navigators secured second place as first runner-up, while Team Adminting took third place as second runner-up. Each startup showcased innovative campaigns designed to deliver measurable impact for brands operating in African markets.
In addition, the evening featured the official unveiling of Ad-Agency GPT by Tomi Davies, Collaborator-in-Chief at TVC Labs, providing participants with a live preview of Africa’s first generative AI platform built specifically for marketing and advertising agencies. The platform is designed to support creative workflows, campaign ideation, content generation, and strategic decision-making, offering practical solutions for agencies and startups operating across African markets.
The MarkHack 5.0 Awards/Hackathon celebrated innovation, cultural relevance, and the transformative potential of AI in marketing. At the end, Dr. Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, the convener of the event and Founder, Eko Innovation Centre, recognized the contributions of speakers, participants, startups, and organizers who collectively advanced dialogue on AI, marketing strategy, and technology-driven innovation in Africa.
