The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has recently unveiled the NASENI Innovation Hub (NIH), a visionary platform designed to nurture homegrown innovations among Nigeria’s youth. This initiative aims to accelerate industrial growth, generate employment, and reduce the nation’s dependence on imported goods.
Central to this launch is the Innovate Naija Challenge, a collaborative effort with AfriLabs, which seeks to close the support gap for emerging Nigerian innovators. The challenge focuses on mentoring, commercializing new technologies, and propelling Nigeria’s industrial and economic advancement.
Aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Innovate Naija Challenge strives to build a robust ecosystem for startups and innovators by providing essential infrastructure, expert guidance, and financial backing.
Guided by the visionary leadership of NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the challenge is crafted to ignite enthusiasm and digital engagement nationwide, while identifying and empowering creative talents across Nigeria.
With a substantial prize fund of N250 million, the Innovate Naija Challenge is a nationwide competition aimed at uncovering and supporting youth-driven solutions. AfriLabs, a leading pan-African innovation network, partners with NASENI to offer research assistance, access to funding channels, and market connections to transform prototypes into sustainable enterprises.
In addition, NASENI collaborates with initiatives such as the DeltHer Expansion Programme, which empowers women engineers, and The FutureMakers Programme, dedicated to nurturing young innovators through grants and mentorship. The NASENI Xceler8 program further accelerates startups specializing in science, engineering, and manufacturing sectors.
The primary goal of the Innovate Naija Challenge is to stimulate creativity and generate a dynamic online presence within Nigeria’s innovation community, attracting innovators who will pioneer ideas that drive the country’s industrial transformation.
By cultivating a positive and engaging social media environment, the campaign encourages nationwide participation to celebrate and support indigenous innovations and products. The competition will select 37 winners-one from each of Nigeria’s 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory-through public voting, each receiving a N2.5 million grant to advance their projects.
The top 15 finalists will then compete at the grand finale during the NASENI Invention Fest in Abuja in February 2026, presenting their innovations to a panel of experts and stakeholders. The overall champion will be awarded N100 million in funding to scale their solution.
Officially launched on September 4, 2025, at the GITEX Nigeria 10x Stage in Lagos, the challenge offers significant funding prospects and invites participants from diverse backgrounds to submit their inventions via creative video presentations.
Over a three-month period, the initiative will engage the Nigerian public, showcasing a wide array of innovative ideas and fostering a vibrant network of science and manufacturing professionals nationwide.
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu emphasized that the Innovate Naija Challenge embodies NASENI’s dedication to cultivating an environment where innovation can flourish. He stated, “This challenge presents a remarkable opportunity to fund 37 exceptional young talents, helping transform their ideas into impactful solutions. The NASENI Innovation Hub will nurture these innovations into scalable technologies, enhancing Nigeria’s technological landscape.”
Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of AfriLabs, highlighted the competition’s significance for Africa’s innovation ecosystem, noting, “By empowering innovators from every Nigerian state, this initiative not only sparks creativity but also fortifies the continent’s innovation framework. We are proud to support NASENI in showcasing Nigerian ingenuity.”
The NASENI Innovation Hub is strategically positioned to fast-track the creation of local solutions, shifting Nigeria’s role from a consumer of imported goods to a producer of value-added products. It focuses on sectors such as renewable energy, machine tools, and electronics, contributing to the development of a resilient, diversified economy less reliant on oil.
By facilitating the commercialization of research-often through small and medium enterprises (SMEs)-the Hub aims to generate skilled employment and foster a sustainable middle class, promoting the production of “Made-in-Nigeria” goods like laptops and mobile devices.
Developing advanced indigenous technologies also opens doors for export opportunities, enabling Nigeria to earn foreign exchange and actively participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Hub’s role extends to connecting innovators with a broad network of peers, industry experts, investors, and other stakeholders to accelerate product development and market entry. It also supports NASENI’s Reverse Japa Programme, which encourages Nigerian researchers abroad to return home by providing funding to establish businesses and commercialize innovations locally, thereby repatriating global expertise.
With this initiative, Nigeria is poised to join the ranks of countries renowned for technological breakthroughs, such as the United States, China, and Japan.
NASENI is propelling Nigeria toward a trajectory of innovation excellence, drawing lessons from nations that have leveraged technology to achieve economic prosperity. Countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have transformed their economies through sustained investment in innovation and industrialization.
For example, China’s remarkable technological advancements have lifted over 800 million people out of poverty within four decades. Today, China is recognized as the “world’s manufacturing powerhouse” and holds the position of the world’s second-largest economy. Cities like Shenzhen, often dubbed “China’s Silicon Valley,” along with Beijing’s Zhongguancun tech hub and Hangzhou’s e-commerce centers, exemplify this success.
Similarly, the United States’ Silicon Valley remains a global epicenter of technology and innovation, significantly contributing to economic growth, productivity, and wealth creation, supported by a highly skilled workforce.
The NASENI Innovation Hub is designed to provide consistent, well-funded support to Nigerian innovators, positioning the country to compete globally in innovation and technology in the coming years.
