Tinubu’s Reform Agenda Powers Knowledge-Based Economy as NBTI Unveils NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, has officially launched the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026, a national platform aimed at accelerating technology-driven entrepreneurship and attracting global investment into Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja, Raji described NEXTGEN 2026 as a landmark national initiative structured to fast-track innovation, mobilise investment, and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading innovation hub.
He clarified that the initiative is more than a competition, describing it as a catalyst for national development and a strategic platform for global innovation diplomacy.
Raji commended Bola Tinubu for his administration’s sweeping economic reforms and Nigeria First Policy, noting that innovation has been repositioned as a core pillar of national growth and development.
According to him, President Tinubu’s reforms, anchored on the belief that innovation is the new oil, have reshaped Nigeria’s development framework and set the nation firmly on the path to building a knowledge-based economy driven by intellectual capital and technological advancement.
Organised by NBTI in partnership with UK-based consultancy firm UKALD, NEXTGEN 2026 is designed to connect Nigerian innovators with global investors, development finance institutions, governments, multilateral agencies, and private sector partners.
Raji disclosed that innovation boot camps will commence in Abuja, while the grand finale will hold in October 2026 at the ExCeL London in the United Kingdom. He explained that the programme is structured to move innovators from laboratories to livelihoods, from prototypes to products, and from ideas to commercial success.
He further revealed that NEXTGEN 2026 will feature international editions in Doha, Qatar, targeting Middle East investors and sovereign wealth funds, and in London, United Kingdom, which will serve as the global flagship showcase.
Raji emphasised that the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026 will prioritise high-impact sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced semiconductors, telecommunications integrating 6G and AI, 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.
He noted that these priority areas align with Nigeria’s national development objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
NBTI also announced plans to deepen collaboration with institutions including the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and the Commonwealth Investment Network.
Raji added that the programme is structured to unlock climate finance, attract foreign direct investment, and scale environmentally sustainable innovations.
Describing NEXTGEN as a fully matured global platform, he stated that it is purpose-built to scale innovative ideas, unlock capital, and deliver measurable economic impact.
The NBTI Director General urged Nigerian universities to prioritise the commercialisation of research, encouraged investors to provide structured capital to startups, and challenged young Nigerians to recognise their ideas as valuable national assets.