Team Savvy — comprising Covenant Adeosun (Department of Computer Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure); Favour Adebayo (Department of Computer Science, Achievers University, Owo); and Samuel Adeyemi (Department of Computer Engineering, Ekiti State University)—recently won the second edition of the HarabiPay’s Squad Hackathon 2.0 contest with their fintech solution SplitWise. HarabiPay is a fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO). In this interview by Kingsley Alumona, they speak about their contest, their fintech solution, among others.
How did the team learn about the Squad Hackathon 2.0 contest, and what informed the team members’ choices for the contest?
One of our teammates (Favour Adebayo) heard about the Squad Hackathon from a friend and shared the information with the team lead (Covenant Adeosun). Later, the last member (Samuel Adeyemi) was invited to make the team well-rounded in terms of technical skills.
Basically, one could say the team was divinely assembled, as we all fit seamlessly together.
How did the team come up with the name ‘Team Savvy’ and how did it come up with the fintech idea it presented in the hackathon contest?
‘Savvy’ is a word that is used to refer to someone who is well-versed in a particular field. It also refers to someone with the ability to make good judgments and decisions. We chose the name because we wanted to represent our team as a group of knowledgeable and professional individuals.
We came up with the idea of SplitWise (our fintech idea, now SplitPay) as we wanted to present an idea that improved the financial inclusion of students and also a wide range of people. We noticed that many people struggle with budgeting, tracking their expenses, and managing public funds efficiently. Our goal was to create something that makes budgeting easier and more intuitive. That is how SplitPay came about.
Tell us more about SplitPay.
SplitPay is an app that allows users to create mini-accounts (splits) in their main account. Users can then spend directly from those carefully created splits instead of haphazardly from their main account. With the addition of a feature we call public splits, SplitPay users can easily donate and crowdfund in transparent and trackable ways. This solves the problem of disorganised private and public spending.
What were the strengths and roles of each team member in the design of the fintech solution?
The team leader was Adeosun Covenant. He is a fullstack developer with over 4 years of experience. During the hackathon, he focused on giving SplitWise (now SplitPay) a great visual representation on the frontend. He made the user interface simple to navigate and engaging.
The backend developer for the team was Adeyemi Samuel. He is also a fullstack developer with over 5 years of experience. He made sure Splitwise (now SplitPay) was technically sound on the backend. He handled the business logic, data processing, and the system functionalities.
Our most impressive member must be the 16-year-old Adebayo Favour, who made sure our presentation was compelling and aptly captivated the judges and audience. He prepared a presentation which communicated our idea clearly and left a lasting impression.
What stood Team Savvy’s solution out from among those of the other twenty teams? Was it the solution itself or how you presented it or what?
According to the score sheet presented at the end of the hackathon, Team Savvy scored highly in every judged criterion, from innovation to technical execution and also presentation. This earned us the top spot at the hackathon. It was not just one factor in particular that made us stand out, it was a combination of God’s grace, a great idea, solid execution, and a compelling presentation that secured our victory.
Are there plans to further develop the solution Team Savvy designed? And do you see your solution becoming an African brand like HabariPay fintech solution?
The team is determined to huddle together, plan properly and launch our solution in the coming months. We plan to refine the idea, improve the user experience and ensure it serves user needs with satisfaction.
We see our solution becoming a household name like HabariPay, Opay and Palmpay someday, being widely recognised. That would bring a lot of joy to the team.
What are the prizes and other benefits associated with winning the Squad Hackathon contest and how does the team wish to leverage these benefits to grow, scale, and develop its members?
Our team copped the top spot, winning us an award of N5 million. Also, we got the privilege to be part of the Guaranty Trust Holding Company’s (GTCO) tech academy called Hackademy, which provides thorough mentorship and training.
The team intends to channel these benefits into individual self-growth and collective development. We want to use the experience and these resources to refine our skills and to enhance SplitPay for success in the future.
What were the challenges the team faced during the contest and also in the course of designing the fintech solution, and how did it overcome or manage the challenges?
One of our major challenges was the limited time frame presented to build our solution. With only a short period to develop and refine our idea, we had to be strategic in how we approached the work.
We, however, overcame this challenge by focusing our energies on building the most important and compelling parts of our minimum viable product (MVP) first, ensuring that the core functionalities were solid before building other peripheral features.
Now that the team has won the Squad Hackathon 2.0 contest, what is next for the team and the solution it built? Would the team continue or end after the hackathon?
By the grace of our God, we intend to hone our skills and keep pushing forward. We intend to continuously improve ourselves and our solution. The goal is to first refine, then build, and finally launch our solution in the coming months.
The team will stay together. The team will stay together and even grow, bringing in skills and fresh perspectives to help us face the challenges ahead. This is just the beginning of our journey, and we are fully committed to making an impact in the tech space.
What can you say to HabariPay for organising the Squad Hackathon contest and the other post-contest benefits it has for the team?
We say a genuine and heartfelt thank you to HabariPay and Squad for the opportunity to stand on that grand stage. The entire experience was beyond just a competition or a hackathon — it was a life-changing moment for everyone in our team.
We are glad for all the other teams we met, all the connections we made, and the renewed passion that was born out of this. We truly appreciate the support and platform provided, and we are excited for what lies ahead.
What advice do you have for future participants or teams of the Squad Hackathon contest, especially teams aspiring to win as your team did?
Believe in God, believe in your product, and believe in your team members. These three things will make all the difference.
First, trust that God will guide your efforts and give you the strength, wisdom, and clarity to succeed. There will be challenges along the way, every day, during the hackathon, but keeping faith will help the team push through.
Second, believe in your product. Your idea may not seem perfect at first, but what truly matters is how well you refine, execute, and present it. Stay focused on solving something real that people can relate to, this will make your solution practical and last longer in their memories. Yes, judges appreciate innovation but do not focus on presenting anything crazy. Just focus on the basics and make sure it works and then tailor your presentation to show what is truly possible through your solution.
Lastly, trust your team members and work together as one. A great team is not just about individuals or the lead, but about collaboration, communication, and commitment. Respect each other’s strengths, delegate tasks wisely, and ensure everyone plays their part. Make sure every team member is emotionally invested in the solution so they can give their best.
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