The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Kazeem Kolawole Raji, has identified telecommunications 6G and artificial intelligence integration as strategic priorities as he launched the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 in Abuja, according to a report by Nigerian Tribune.
Speaking at a world press conference in the Nigerian capital, Raji described the initiative as a landmark national platform aimed at accelerating innovation, attracting investment and positioning Nigeria as Africa’s leading innovation hub. He said the programme aligns with the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose economic reforms and emphasis on innovation as a driver of growth are reshaping the country’s development framework.
Raji noted that under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is deliberately transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy powered by intellectual capital, technological advancement and entrepreneurship rather than reliance on natural resources.
Highlighting the statutory mandate of the NBTI, he said the agency remains the federal government’s primary technology incubation body and the only institution legally empowered to commercialise research outcomes, inventions and innovations. He stressed its role as a bridge between academia and industry, transforming ideas into viable products and guiding them from laboratory prototypes to market-ready ventures.
Officially unveiling the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026, Raji described it as more than a competition, calling it a national development catalyst and a platform for global innovation diplomacy. The initiative is designed to help innovators refine transformative ideas into scalable, investment-ready businesses. It will include boot camps in Abuja, with a grand finale in London, alongside international showcases in Doha and London to facilitate capital mobilisation, mentorship and market access.
The challenge will focus on high-impact innovations that have developed minimum viable products in sectors considered critical to national and global progress. Among the priority areas are telecommunications, particularly 6G and AI integration, as well as artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced semiconductors and digital infrastructure, green and renewable energy, climate resilience technologies and gender-inclusive innovation.
Raji said the programme seeks to mobilise substantial domestic and international investment, moving innovators beyond pitch presentations to commercially viable enterprises. He added that the initiative is intended to operate as a year-round platform to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
Expected outcomes include an increase in investment-ready startups, stronger international partnerships, concrete capital commitments and improved commercialisation of indigenous technologies.
Calling on key stakeholders to participate, Raji urged universities to place commercialisation at the heart of academic excellence and encouraged investors to engage with Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, which he said is ready for structured capital and strategic collaboration. He also addressed young innovators and students, describing their ideas as national assets and encouraging them to shape the country’s future.
Raji concluded by affirming that the initiative reflects the board’s belief that Nigeria’s greatest resource lies in the talent and creativity of its people, with the ultimate goal of establishing the country as Africa’s innovation powerhouse and a significant contributor to the global knowledge economy.
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