Smiles and celebration filled the Calabar International Conference Centre on January 10, 2026, as winners of the Carnival Calabar Video Challenge carted home cheques worth ₦18 million, courtesy of the Ugi Augustine Ugi (UAU) Foundation and NUGI Technologies Nigeria Limited.
The prize presentation formed part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of NUGI Technologies Nigeria Ltd, an indigenous technology company founded in 2015. The initiative was designed to support and empower young creatives during the month-long Carnival Calabar and Festival, widely regarded as Africa’s largest street party.
Promoted by Ugi Augustine Ugi through the UAU Foundation in partnership with NUGI Technologies Nigeria Ltd, the video challenge attracted over 80 entries from young content creators who showcased the colour, energy and cultural richness of Carnival Calabar to a global audience.
At the end of the competition, five participants emerged as winners of ₦1 million each, 20 participants received ₦500,000 each, while an additional 20 participants went home with ₦150,000 each.
Speaking through the initiative, the organisers said the challenge reflects the shared vision of NUGI Technologies and the UAU Foundation to blend commercial excellence with social responsibility, while demonstrating that indigenous innovation can transform government revenue, power national digital systems, uplift communities through structured giving, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and creatives.
NUGI Technologies Nigeria Ltd, which began as a home-grown idea, has grown into the official technology partner to the Cross River State Government and one of Nigeria’s trusted providers of digital infrastructure solutions. Over the last three years, the company has played a key role in transforming the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through automation, transparency and process re-engineering.
Before the company’s intervention in August 2023, Cross River State’s annual IGR stood at about ₦19 billion. Between August and December 2023 alone, over ₦13 billion was generated in just five months. By the end of the 2024 fiscal year, IGR had risen to over ₦46 billion, marking a historic shift to a scalable, technology-driven revenue ecosystem.
Beyond government partnerships, NUGI Technologies Nigeria Ltd serves a diverse portfolio of clients across fintech, education and development sectors, including Moniepoint, eTransact, the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), the Cross River State Government, the Pan-African Women Empowerment Network (PAWEN), and Goldwyn Financials, among others.
The UAU Foundation’s involvement in Carnival Calabar is part of its broader commitment to supporting creatives and entrepreneurs in Cross River State. In addition to the video challenge, other UAU Foundation initiatives have produced 108 winners and led to the direct disbursement of ₦44.35 million to entrepreneurs, small business owners and creatives.
Organisers described the anniversary celebration as a reflection of NUGI Technologies’ journey from modest beginnings to national impact, driven by a vision of building Africa’s digital future, one system at a time.
