In a highly competitive tech hackathon, young tech enthusiasts from different Rwandan universities gathered for the CodeXtreme 2025 Student Hackathon to innovate, network, share, and develop human-centred solutions that address the needs of the community. It was under the theme "Build Things People Need: High-Value, High-Impact Solutions To Shape Communities.”

The four-day hackathon, organised by CodeXtreme with support from different partners, commenced on February 26 at African Leadership University(ALU) and has drawn over 200 participants from institutions including the University of Rwanda (UR), Université Libre de Kigali (ULK), and Kepler.

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Participants also include undergraduate and graduate students, boot camp attendees, and self-taught tech enthusiasts from across the country.

In his opening remarks, Jeremiah Essuman, Director of Academics at ALU, urged participants to create human-centred solutions that make lasting impacts.

"How does this thing I&039;m developing make people's lives better? Which problem is it addressing, and who will use it?" Essuman challenged attendees to consider as they developed their solutions.

Cedric Murairi, Founder of CodeXtreme, explained the concept behind the hackathon, emphasising its objectives.

"We gather 250 students from different universities across Kigali for four days at the African Leadership University, where they spend time learning, building, and sharing their passion for technology,” he explained.

The hackathon's objectives include inspiring innovation, building community, bridging academia and industry, and promoting real-world impact.

Explaining more about the hackathon, Murairi underscored this year’s hackathon focuses on building high-value, high-impact solutions to address pressing community challenges.

"The reason why we put that focus on is to empower attendees to identify problems that need solving, pressing problems in the community, and provide solutions for that so that they can have an impact and create value around the people in the community,” he added.

Key partners supporting the hackathon include the African Leadership University, the Digital Transformation Center Rwanda, Irembo, and Wolfram, Murairi noted.

On the first day, participants formed teams they would be working in throughout the hackathon, engaged in project ideation, and brainstormed with mentors.

Reflecting on the role of mentors during the hackathon, Murairi emphasised that they will be helping attendees to navigate technical complexities and advise on ways to refine their ideas to best fit the need they would be trying to solve.

Throughout the event, workshops will cover emerging technologies such as cross-platform app development, blockchain for social impact, and AI for social good.

Experts from Irembo and other institutions will guide participants in these areas.

Participants will compete for cash prizes, with the winning team receiving $2,500, the second-place team $1,500, and the third-place team $1,000.

"It's not just the prize money, we foresee future collaboration with the teams that are going to win this year,” Murairi noted.

While students independently choose which challenge they would like to tackle, Murairi stressed that some partners have provided specific challenges for participants to address.

The Digital Transformation Center Rwanda has tasked four teams with developing an AI-driven education platform that enhances access to learning content in simplified English or translated into Kinyarwanda.

According to Murairi, the hackathon’s selection process is straightforward, requiring only registration and confirmation of attendance.

Murairi noted that this is the second edition of CodeXtreme, following its successful launch in January 2024.

He revealed plans for a one-year incubator programme to help participants refine and scale their projects after the hackathon.

"Although we haven't gathered all the funds, we intend to with the help of our partners and sponsors to find a way we can support these teams to build something of value out of the solutions from the hackathon," he added.

Divine Laura Baraza, a second-year Software Engineering student at ALU and a returning hackathon participant, emphasised the event's value in networking, team-building, and innovation.

"We used to spend nights here and wake up, take a shower, and come back. And you get to even see other very inspiring ideas that are needed in the community,” she said.

"So, the solution this year, we're still thinking about it because today is ideation day. But we want to focus on things in Rwanda, the problems that we still have in Rwanda.”

Baraza said she looks forward to benefiting from mentors’ expertise and creating more collaborations.

Nigerian student Laurelle Jinelle Nformi highlighted the hackathon's role in fostering impactful innovations.

"I love change-making. Being able to integrate software and tech in general, into the change-making in whatever way I can, is really something I want to do and CodeXtreme gave me that opportunity,” she stated.

Her team is focusing on solutions in healthcare and environmental conservation.

Landry Sugira, Advisor for Digital Skills Development at the Digital Transformation Center Rwanda, emphasised the importance of youth participation in Rwanda’s digital transformation.

"We see CodeXtreme as an opportunity to bring together lots of talents to innovate, build, and eventually, hope that they can come up with solutions and innovations that solve the country’s problems,” he said.

Arnaud Michel Nibaruta, the Bachelor of Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Manager at ALU, pointed out the hackathon’s unique structure, which allows participants to form their own teams before the event.

"This hackathon is different because in some hackathons you will find that you are put in a team when you get there, but not for this one. They form their team as they register for the hackathon,” he noted, expressing optimism about the hackathon’s long-term impact.