Build Zero — UNILAG, Lagos
What this hackathon is about
Build Zero comes to Lagos. After a record-breaking day in Nairobi — 25 teams and a room four times the size of our first build — b54 is bringing the same one-day building sprint to the University of Lagos, in partnership with Major League Hacking.
One day. One room full of the sharpest builders in Lagos. You show up, form a team, and ship something real by the end of the day. No prior hackathon experience required — just the drive to build.
This is more than a competition. It's where builders find their people, mentors unblock stuck teams, and half-formed ideas become working demos. The best work gets funded, and standout builders walk away with more than a prize.
Partner
Build Zero — Lagos is run in partnership with Major League Hacking (MLH), whose fifteen years of hackathon infrastructure and global community connect the day to something bigger. More partners to be announced.
Who it's for
Students and builders based in Lagos and across Nigeria — developers, designers, and researchers at every experience level. Whether it's your first hackathon or your tenth, if you can build, you belong in the room.
What you'll build
Anything you can ship in a day. Teams form on the morning of the event and build working products from scratch — AI tools, developer utilities, products that solve problems you live with every day. What matters is that it works and it's yours.
Prizes & incentives
Standout teams are evaluated for venture funding from b54's partners. Individual builders are selected for internship offers with partner companies and fully funded seats in the next Crafts School cohort — the same incentives that sent 20+ builders home from Nairobi with more than a trophy.
Schedule
Doors open, opening ceremony, and team formation. Come with a squad or find your people in the first hour.
Heads-down building, with mentor office hours throughout the day to unblock teams and sharpen ideas.
Teams demo what they shipped. Judges score on the merits, and the audience gets a vote.
Winners announced, prizes awarded, and funding evaluation kicks off for standout teams.
How judging works
Projects are judged on what you actually shipped — technical execution, originality, and real-world impact. A panel of judges scores every team on the merits, alongside an audience vote for the room's favorite.