Digitaley drive advances AI innovation through microsoft-backed hackathon

… sets stage for scaled technical impact

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape global industries, Nigerian-founded digital education platform Digitaley Drive is positioning itself at the forefront of practical AI innovation through a series of technology-driven initiatives designed to build real-world solutions and strengthen the digital economy.

Founded by technology entrepreneur Ruby Ihekweme, Digitaley Drive operates a product-led digital learning platform focused on Generative AI and data analytics, enabling learners to progress from skills acquisition to real-world product development.

One of its most notable recent efforts is the AI-focused Digital Bridge Hackathon, delivered in collaboration with industry partners including Microsoft ecosystem stakeholders. The hackathon brought together emerging developers, data analysts, and product thinkers to design and prototype AI-powered solutions addressing real challenges in education, employability, and digital access.

Unlike traditional training programmes, the initiative emphasised hands-on technical execution, requiring participants to build functional solutions using artificial intelligence tools, data workflows, and product design frameworks. Several teams developed AI-driven platforms focused on personalised learning, skills-to-job matching, and data-informed decision-making for education providers.

According to Digitaley Drive founder Ruby Ihekweme, the hackathon reflects a deliberate shift toward product-led digital capacity building.
“Our goal is not just to teach AI concepts, but to create an environment where emerging talent can build, test, and scale technology products that solve real problems,” she said. “This is how sustainable digital ecosystems are formed.”

The hackathon also served as a validation of Digitaley Drive’s broader technology platform and business model, which combines structured learning pathways in Generative AI and data analytics with practical innovation challenges. Through this model, the platform enables learners to move from skill acquisition to product creation, reinforcing its role as a pipeline for technically competent, industry-ready talent.

Following the success of the first AI hackathon, Digitaley Drive has announced plans to significantly expand the initiative in 2026, with a larger cohort of participants, deeper industry involvement, and increased focus on deployable AI solutions. The expansion will include more advanced AI use cases, mentorship from industry practitioners, and integration with Digitaley Drive’s learning platform to support solution scaling beyond the hackathon stage.

This expansion aligns with the platform’s growing footprint across multiple countries and its increasing role in supporting Africa’s participation in the global digital economy. By embedding AI innovation into its product offering, Digitaley Drive is demonstrating how education technology companies can move beyond content delivery to become active contributors to technical innovation and economic value creation.

Industry observers note that initiatives such as the Digital Bridge Hackathon are critical to ensuring that emerging markets are not merely consumers of AI technologies, but active contributors to their development and application.

With continued investment in AI-driven programmes and a scalable product-led approach, Digitaley Drive is reinforcing its position as a technology platform driving measurable technical and entrepreneurial impact — while laying the groundwork for a broader, more inclusive digital innovation ecosystem.