About Us
Our Story: From a Spark to a Movement
Project GENIUS began with a simple spark: to ignite creativity and design thinking in the next generation. Our journey started with an inaugural innovation contest that exceeded all expectations. We saw 178 students and 52 teams rise to the challenge, proving that the hunger for technical excellence is immense. The energy culminated in a Grand Finale with over 300 educators and tech enthusiasts in attendance.
The Breakthrough: More than just a competition, this event saw four teams debut fully functional prototypes ranging from integrated smart devices to community-driven tech platforms proving that our community doesn’t just dream; we build.
Evolution: The Deep Tech Venture Studio
This breakthrough was just the beginning. Today, Project GENIUS has evolved from a competition host into a Deep Tech Venture Studio.
We operate at the intersection of AI and Blockchain, prioritizing conscious innovation over market hype. Our mission is to develop sustainable human capital that meets Africa’s unique needs through intentionality and long-term impact. We aren’t just hosting a hackathon; we are incubating the future of the Nigerian digital economy.
Legacy & Visual Milestones: The Path of Innovation
Our journey is best told through the hands-on work of our participants. From the first prototype to our current continental summit, here is how we’ve built the Project GENIUS legacy.
🏗️ Phase 1: The Inaugural Spark (Project GENIUS 1.0)
The first edition proved that students could solve real-world problems with high-tech solutions. The winning project was a Computer Vision Waste Sorting Machine, capable of autonomously identifying and separating recyclables.
The technical debut: Demonstrating the computer vision waste sorter.
The reward for excellence: The winning team receiving their prizes and recognition.
🧠 Phase 2: Think Tank 2025
Before scaling, we went deep. Think Tank 2025 was a dedicated period of strategy and intellectual rigor, where we analyzed the “truth on the ground” to refine our venture studio model.
The Strategy Room: Expert leads and participants deconstructing local challenges.
Focused Intent: Capturing the concentration and drive of the next generation of African innovators.
🚀 Phase 3: Scaling Impact (Project GENIUS 2.0)
The second edition focused on turning prototypes into potential businesses. We saw an increase in complexity, professional documentation, and the sheer volume of participation.
Drafting the Future: Participants working through the technical logic and required documentation.
The New Standard: Celebrating the winners of PG 2.0 as they prepare to enter the venture studio pipeline.
🌍 Phase 4: CATS Hackathon (Current)
We are currently in the “Ground Potentializing” phase of the Cardano Africa Tech Summit (CATS). We are moving beyond local contests to building global-standard blockchain solutions on Cardano and Midnight.
The CATS Ecosystem: A full house in Zaria, focused on translating research into code.
Ground Sensing Studio: A deep dive into field data before a single line of code is written.
The Collaborative Engine: Real-world teamwork moving up the ladder of innovation.
The Tech Hub Session: Finalizing technical architectures for the upcoming summit presentations.
Team Spotlight: The Tinkers
“The Hacktivists of Zaria”
Every movement needs its radicals. The Tinkers represent the bridge between raw engineering and social activism. As our featured “Hacktivists,” they embody the Project GENIUS spirit: taking apart the systems that don’t work and rebuilding them on-chain for the common good.
Substack: “Before the Chain, There Was the Problem”
Our editorial philosophy focuses on building blockchain infrastructure that actually serves Africa.
Featured Editorials:
- Before the Chain, There Was the Problem – Why infrastructure must precede speculation.
- A practical editorial on building blockchain infrastructure for Africa
- Regenerative Learning and Professor Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement
- Applying Professor Wangari Maathai’s philosophy to digital ecosystems.
- If You Think Crypto Is Just Gambling, You’ve Only Seen 5% of What Web3 Really Is.
- If you think crypto is just gambling, you’ve only seen 5% of what Web3 really is. Let us show you the other 95%.
Join the Ecosystem
Stay connected with the Hub’s operations and the CATS Hackathon progress:
- X (Twitter): https://x.com/_ProjectGENIUS
- Telegram: https://t.me/+wz4zFzgU1fM3ZWU0
- Whatsapp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KB3hBuar3uXJoAuNeDpeBX