Lagos has become the first African city to host a continent-wide Smart City Hackathon, drawing over 800 participants from 14 countries. The event, co-organized by the African Development Bank and Google Africa, aims to address urban issues using technology.
Winning projects included an AI-powered drainage monitor to prevent floods and an app to optimize public transport routes. The Nigerian government plans to fund four of the top projects.
Urban planners in South Asia, including in Kolkata and Kathmandu, are now looking at similar civic-tech hackathons to crowdsource urban innovation from youth.