Governor Uba Sani,has hailed the chief executive officer of Interface Africa and an indigene of Kaduna State, Al’amin Muhammed Idris, for emerging as the overall winner of the 2025 NextGen Innovation Challenge, held in London.
The global innovation event, organised by the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) in partnership with UKALD Management Consultancy, brought together more than 3,000 participants from across Nigeria, with only 105 advancing to the grand finale.
Al’amin’s innovation, Interface Africa, is a groundbreaking clean-energy platform connecting solar providers, financiers, and end-users to expand access to affordable power.
Through its flagship initiatives — GreenPay and a network of trained field agents known as NasPoints — the platform has powered thousands of homes, supported small businesses, and reduced carbon emissions across the continent.
The innovation attracted a £1.5 million investment from the UK-based firm Pure Climate Solutions to scale its reach across Africa.
Reacting to award, Governor Uba Sani described Al’amin’s victory as a monumental achievement and a source of pride for Kaduna State and Nigeria.
The governor reaffirmed that his administration will continue to invest in science, technology, and innovation as tools for inclusive growth and youth empowerment.
Sani also commended another Kaduna innovator, Shamsuddeen Jibril, whose locally built AgroDrone Crop Doctor— designed for crop spraying and monitoring — impressed global judges and earned partnership agreements with Teesside University (UK) and UKALD Management Consultancy.
Leading the Kaduna delegation, Director-General of the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA), Prof.Usman Abubakar Zaria, hailed the achievements as a reflection of Governor Uba Sani’s visionary leadership and sustained investment in education, innovation, and youth development.
