Board Unveils NextGen 2026 To Drive Nigeria’s Innovation Economy

By Aza Abba, Abuja

The director-general of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr Kazeem  Raji, has described the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 as a major catalyst for Nigeria’s development and global competitiveness.

At a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Raji said the 2026 edition, themed “The Road Ahead: NextGen 2026”, would prioritise high-impact and future-defining sectors, including artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced semiconductors, digital infrastructure, software development and next-generation telecommunications.

He said the programme would also focus on climate resilience and flood detection, safety and surveillance technologies, as well as women in technology and gender-inclusive innovation.

Raji disclosed that NextGen 2026 would commence with boot camps in Abuja in February 2026, with the grand finale in London, a move he said would further position Nigeria as Africa’s innovation powerhouse.

According to him, the initiative’s strategic objectives include mobilising significant capital and foreign direct investment for Nigerian innovators, moving startups from prototype to market, and strengthening international innovation diplomacy through engagements in London, Doha, and North America.

“The goal is not just pitching ideas, but building market-ready ventures that can compete globally,” he said.

Raji said the University of Toronto, Canada, and African Impact Initiatives have entered into a partnership with NBTI for the 2026 edition of the challenge.

He said the University of Toronto’s involvement would provide access to world-class research expertise in artificial intelligence, health innovation and technology commercialisation, while African Impact Initiatives would align impact capital and scalable enterprise models with the NextGen pipeline.