Nigeria’s innovation sector took center stage in Abuja as the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) showcased the winners of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2025, declaring the era of intellectual capital as Nigeria’s new frontier for global relevance.
In a welcome address, the Director General of NBTI, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, described the event as more than a competition, but “a pivotal chapter in Nigeria’s journey—a chapter defined not by natural endowments, but by intellectual assets.”
The showcase drew innovators, investors, development partners, and public officials from across the country. With over 3,000 entries received from all 36 states and the FCT, the Challenge highlighted the ingenuity of Nigerian youths in areas ranging from clean energy and food security to health tech, fintech, and education.
“Our theme, ‘Igniting Indigenous Ingenuity: Nigerian Solutions, Global Impact’, is a bold declaration that Nigeria’s time to lead with innovation is now,” Dr. Raji stated.
He emphasized the significance of the Nigeria First Policy and the country’s new membership in BRICS as game-changing platforms that will expand access to global markets and elevate local solutions to international stages.
“You, the innovators, are living proof that Nigeria’s greatest resource is not beneath the ground—it is within our people,” Dr. Raji told participants.
The DG hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for laying the foundation for economic transformation from consumption to production and for prioritizing technology and innovation in national development.
Dr. Raji challenged innovators to move beyond prototypes to scalable products that solve real problems. He urged them to leverage existing frameworks, including local content policies and public procurement systems that prioritize indigenous innovation.
He also called on the private sector, development agencies, governors, and the media to back the innovation ecosystem and help amplify the voice of Nigerian excellence.
“This showcase is not the finale—it is only the beginning,” Dr. Raji noted. “Let us honour these visionaries. Let us ignite a movement. Because when we invest in Nigerian innovation, we are not just lighting bulbs—we are illuminating destinies.”
According to the Director General, two finalists from each state and the FCT, making up 37 trailblazers, will represent Nigeria at international innovation stages—flying the nation’s flag as proof that Nigeria can export ideas, not just raw materials.
The NBTI, in collaboration with project management consultants **UKALD**, affirmed its commitment to building not just systems but ecosystems—incubating innovation and turning ideas into national prosperity.
