Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State, has emerged first at the Pan-Atlantic University Hackathon 3.0, winning the grand prize of ?500,000 in the 24-hour, artificial intelligence-focused technology competition held from Friday, 23 October, to Saturday, 24 October 2026, at the Pan-Atlantic University main campus.

The competition, organised by the Tech Innovation Club of Pan-Atlantic University, in partnership with Zenith Bank and Pan-Atlantic University, brought together 10 teams from different institutions to develop innovative, technology-driven solutions to real-world problems. The event was held under the theme, “Re-imagining the AI Digital Native Universe.”

Augustine University’s winning team, Syntax, impressed the judges with its innovative project, CheckAM, a product verification system designed to help Nigerians identify genuine products and guard against counterfeit goods.

The system focuses on verifying the authenticity of products such as food, beverages, medicines and cosmetics. It checks product information against databases associated with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP). It also employs an artificial intelligence agent to search online for additional confirmation of a product’s existence.

The innovation addresses the growing concern over counterfeit products in Nigeria and demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be deployed to promote consumer protection, improve access to product information and support informed purchasing decisions.

During the final presentations, participating teams were required to demonstrate functional prototypes, present pitch decks and provide evidence of their projects’ originality. Syntax’s presentation, alongside that of another Augustine University team, Summit, received an enthusiastic response and drew applause from the audience.

Summit presented NATION OS, a web application designed to promote transparency and accountability in public spending by enabling citizens to track government projects, monitor abandoned projects and understand how public budgets are planned and utilised.

At the end of the competition, Syntax of Augustine University secured first position and won ?500,000, while Ultra of Pan-Atlantic University came second, winning ?300,000. Bells University 2 of Bells University emerged third, receiving ?200,000.

The hackathon assessed participants on their ability to solve meaningful real-world problems, demonstrate technical competence through functional prototypes, develop scalable and sustainable solutions, incorporate artificial intelligence effectively, and exhibit teamwork and presentation skills.

Congratulations to Team Syntax and the entire Augustine University community on this remarkable achievement!