The National Board for Technology Incubation, NBTI, has officially unveiled the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026, a national platform designed to accelerate technology-driven entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths and attract global investment into the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NBTI, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, unveiled the platform at a world press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Raji described NEXTGEN 2026 as a national platform designed to accelerate innovation, mobilise investment, and position Nigeria as Africa’s undisputed innovation powerhouse.
He explained that the programme is not a competition but “a national development catalyst and a global innovation diplomacy platform”.
The NBTI commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s economic reforms and Nigeria First Policy, noting that innovation had been repositioned as a central pillar of national development.
According to Jaji, Tinubu’s reforms has identified innovation is the new oil and redefined Nigeria’s development architecture, placing the country on a strategic path toward a knowledge-driven economy powered by intellectual capital and technological advancement.
Jaji further explained that NEXTGEN 2026 will 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 Centre 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.
According to Jaji, Nigerian innovators would get the chance to showcase their innovations on the international stage, with 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.
Raji disclosed priority will be given to innovations in 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.
These sectors align with Nigeria’s national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Raji explained.
“The programme is structured to unlock climate finance, attract Foreign Direct Investment and scale environmentally sustainable innovations,” he stated, adding that it is designed to scale ideas, unlock capital and deliver tangible economic impact.
In the same vein, Raji urged Nigerian universities to prioritise the commercialisation of research.
He equally encouraged investors to provide structured capital to startups, and challenged Nigerian youths to see their ideas as national assets.
