Team UNILORIN wins AI Justice Hackathon 2026 …bags ₦1m Grand Prize
By Mubarak Oladosu and Temitope Omoniyi
A cross-disciplinary team of students from the University of Ilorin, Team MedLex AI, has emerged as the overall champion at the National AI Justice Hackathon 2026, clinching the ultimate ₦1,000,000 cash prize.
The intellectual contest, themed “AI for Access to Justice: Bridging the Justice Gap in Nigeria,” was held penultimate Thursday(September 17, 2026) at the Court of Appeal Hall, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The hackathon was organised to commemorate the 80th birthday of a retired Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Sotonye Denton-West by her 80th Birthday Planning Committee, in partnership with Rivers State judicial community.
The UNILORIN contingent beat several legal-tech innovators from across the nation by building an innovative WhatsApp-based AI chatbot named MedLex AI, which was designed to provide instant legal aid to users.
The innovation helps everyday Nigerians navigate complex regulatory frameworks seamlessly, offering direct guidance on workplace injuries, medical negligence, and health insurance disputes.
The victorious Team MedLex AI led by Ogunleye Oluwatoyin Folukemisola of Physiotherapy Department, stood out for its unique, cross-departmental composition drawn from five disciplines. Other members of the team of the innovators are Abdulsamod Obasanjo Toheeb from Law; Timothy Oluwasemilore Shalom from Accounting; Atanda Khadijah Mosope from Nursing; and Akonedo Osarukpa Naomi from Physiotherapy.
While other members of the tech-driven squad collaborated and supported the project virtually from Ilorin, Miss Akonedo Osarukpa Naomi was physically present at the venue in Port Harcourt to pitch the software solution before the high-profile panel of jurists and IT experts.
Reacting, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, who spoke through the Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, expressed profound pride in the students’ exploit.
He remarked that the victory perfectly mirrors the university’s guiding core values of innovation, excellence, and teamwork. Prof. Egbewole stated that the students have once again validated the institution’s standing as the ‘Better by Far’ citadel.
He added that by blending law, healthcare, and technology to solve a critical societal problem like access to justice, Team MedLex AI has shown that UNILORIN breeds thinkers who do not just pass examinations but create real-world solutions.
