ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Federal Government, through the National Board for Technology Incubation, has urged universities and other institutions across the country to prioritise the commercialisation of research outputs.
The Director-General of the NBTI, Raji Kolawole, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at a press briefing ahead of the launch of the 2026 edition of the NextGen Innovation Challenge.
The NextGen Innovation Challenge is positioned as a national development driver aimed at establishing Nigeria as Africa’s leading innovation hub.
The initiative targets high-impact sectors including artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors, green energy, and climate resilience, while offering Nigerian innovators access to funding, mentorship, and international markets.
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Addressing journalists, Raji described the challenge as a landmark national platform created to fast-track innovation, attract investment, and cement Nigeria’s status as Africa’s foremost innovation centre.
“President Tinubu’s bold economic reforms and his unwavering belief that innovation is the new oil have redefined the architecture of national development,” he said.
He explained that the NBTI remains the Federal Government’s primary technology incubation agency and the only institution legally empowered to commercialise research and development, inventions, and innovations from Nigerian universities, research institutes, polytechnics, technical colleges, and private innovators.
“We serve as the bridge between research and the marketplace moving ideas from laboratories to livelihoods, from prototypes to products, and from concepts to commercial success.
“Through our nationwide incubation centres, we nurture startups, support inventors, de-risk technologies, facilitate intellectual property pathways, and connect innovators to capital.”
Raji also announced that applications for the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 will open on February 26, 2026, and close on March 28, 2026.
“Today, 26 February 2026, we officially launch the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026 proudly organised by NBTI under my leadership, in strategic partnership with UKALD, a United Kingdom–based consultancy firm.
“With innovation boot camps commencing in Abuja and a Grand Finale scheduled for October 2026 in London, NEXTGEN 2026 is not merely a competition it is a national development catalyst and a platform for global innovation diplomacy.
“To our universities and research institutions, commercialisation must become central to academic excellence.
“To our young innovators and students, your ideas are national assets. The future is yours to build.”
The NBTI is advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem through initiatives such as the NextGen Innovation Challenge, with a strong focus on sectors including artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and advanced semiconductors.
Through collaborations with international partners, the agency aims to position Nigeria as a regional centre for science, technology, and innovation, in line with national development goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The agency has also attracted major investments, including £1.5 million for Interface Africa, and continues to expand its global partnerships to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation landscape.