The Federal Government has placed innovation at the centre of Nigeria’s economic future with the unveiling of the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026, a national platform designed to fast-track technology-driven entrepreneurship and attract global investment into the country’s innovation ecosystem.
In practical terms, the initiative signals Abuja’s growing push to treat innovation as a frontline economic strategy; one expected to stimulate jobs, unlock capital and strengthen Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the knowledge economy.
The direction was made public at a world press briefing in Abuja by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, who formally unveiled the programme.
Describing NEXTGEN 2026 as a defining national platform, Raji said it is designed to accelerate innovation, mobilise investment and position Nigeria as Africa’s undisputed innovation powerhouse.
He emphasised that the initiative was not a competition but a national development catalyst and a global innovation diplomacy platform.
Dr. Raji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the administration’s economic reforms and Nigeria First Policy, noting that innovation had been repositioned as a central pillar of national development.
According to him, President Tinubu’s reforms that innovation is the new oil, had redefined Nigeria’s development architecture, placing the country on a strategic path toward a knowledge-driven economy powered by intellectual capital and technological advancement.
Organised by the National Board for Technology Incubation in partnership with UK-based consultancy firm UKALD, the programme aims to connect Nigerian innovators with global investors, development finance institutions, governments, multilateral agencies and private sector partners.
“Innovation boot camps will begin in Abuja, while the grand finale is scheduled for October 2026 at the ExCeL London in the United Kingdom. the programme is designed to move innovators ‘from laboratories to livelihoods, from prototypes to products, and from ideas to commercial success,’” Raji explained.
He noted that NEXTGEN 2026 would also feature international editions in Doha, Qatar, targeting Middle East investors and sovereign wealth funds, and in London, United Kingdom, which would serve as the global flagship showcase.
Dr. Raji further stressed that this year’s challenge would prioritise high-impact sectors including artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced semiconductors, telecommunications with 6G and AI integration, green and renewable energy, climate resilience and flood detection systems, agri-tech, health-tech, edu-tech, women in tech and gender-inclusive innovation, as well as virtual reality and 3D manufacturing.
According to Raji, these sectors aligned with Nigeria’s national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
NBTI also disclosed that the initiative will deepen collaboration with institutions such as the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and the Commonwealth Investment Network.
“The programme is structured to unlock climate finance, attract Foreign Direct Investment and scale environmentally sustainable innovations.”
Describing the initiative as a matured global platform, Raji said it is designed to scale ideas, unlock capital and deliver tangible economic impact.
He urged Nigerian universities to prioritise the commercialisation of research, encouraged investors to provide structured capital to startups, and challenged young Nigerians to see their ideas as national assets.
