NITDA expands drive for innovation hubs nationwide

Director General, Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi.

The National Information Technology Development Agency is working to ensure that every Nigerian state has at least two functioning innovation hubs, as the agency expands support for technology startups and seeks to widen access to digital entrepreneurship opportunities.

NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, disclosed the plan at the recent foundation-laying ceremony for the Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja, a project backed by a $10.4m grant from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The proposed expansion is intended to give entrepreneurs outside major technology centres greater access to incubation programmes, equipment and other resources needed to develop ideas into market-ready products and businesses.

“Today, we are laying the foundation, not just for an innovation hub, but for new enterprises, new opportunities, new partnerships, and a future where our youth ideas can be turned and used to solve our national problems and global challenges,” Abdullahi said.

The initiative comes as Nigeria seeks to expand its digital economy and strengthen the pipeline of technology businesses capable of creating jobs, attracting investment and developing solutions for local markets.

The Abuja facility is expected to provide incubation services, hardware prototyping equipment, research facilities and opportunities for international business collaboration. Its $10.4m grant was provided by Japan through JICA, reflecting growing bilateral cooperation in technology and entrepreneurship.

However, the nationwide hub target remains a plan announced by NITDA, while the Abuja facility is at the foundation-laying stage.

Abdullahi said the agency’s existing programmes had supported hundreds of startups and businesses. Its Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation has supported more than 995 startups and contributed to the creation of 7,596 jobs, according to figures presented at the event.

He added that 300 companies had received training through a digital export acceleration programme over the past three years.

The agency has also expanded its iHatch programme, developed with JICA through ONDI in 2023. Abdullahi said 333 startups were trained across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2025 and early 2026, alongside 74 hub managers.

Other initiatives, including We Elevate and IgniteHatch, have provided training for women entrepreneurs. According to the NITDA chief, 224 women-owned enterprises had received training through the programmes, while 12 founders were sponsored to Japan and one beneficiary secured a $500,000 grant.

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The figures highlight the role of incubation programmes in helping early-stage businesses build products, improve their commercial prospects and access wider markets. The availability of physical infrastructure, however, does not by itself guarantee that startups will secure financing, attract customers or become sustainable businesses.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, said Japan’s support for Nigeria’s startup ecosystem focused on strengthening policies and institutions, supporting early-stage investment and providing infrastructure.

“This hub will provide entrepreneurs with the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment needed to transform raw ideas into viable businesses,” Suzuki said.

He described the centre as a space where entrepreneurs could use digital fabrication tools, collaborate with other innovators and connect with international partners.

Beyond the infrastructure grant, Abdullahi disclosed that JICA was working with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to establish a proposed $50m seed-funding facility for startups.

The proposed facility would provide another potential source of support for early-stage businesses, although the announcement did not establish that the fund was already operational or that the money had been disbursed.

For Nigerian technology entrepreneurs, access to capital remains an important consideration alongside infrastructure, skills and market access. A wider network of innovation hubs could help startups outside established commercial centres obtain technical support and business development services, but its effectiveness will depend on funding, equipment, staffing and sustained access to programmes.

First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who laid the foundation stone for the Abuja facility, urged NITDA to ensure that young people could benefit from the project regardless of their location or background.

She said the hub should enable innovators to develop ideas into working prototypes and viable businesses, while contributing to youth empowerment, digital inclusion and job creation.

The government’s broader objective is to use digitalisation and innovation to support economic diversification. Whether the proposed expansion delivers that outcome will depend on how effectively the hubs translate access to technology and training into businesses, jobs, and commercially viable products.