NASENI, PICTT Partner MIT Solve to Boost Nigerian Innovators

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) have partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT Solve to help Nigerian innovators scale their solutions and compete globally.

Under the partnership, 10 innovators from the DELTA-2 and DELT-Her programmes will undergo a six-month acceleration programme at MIT Solve in Boston, United States, where they will receive technical support, mentorship and access to funding opportunities.ten Nigerian innovators from DELTA-2 Programme and Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) cohorts are set for a six- month acceleration programme at MIT Solve, Boston Massachusetts to create  pathways for promising homegrown solutions to scale and achieve greater impact.

This programme, which was organized by PICTT and NASENI, was carefully framed to strengthen the Nigerian innovators with technical skills and mentorship that would help their innovations move to commercial stage and secure a valuable place for Nigerian products into the international market.

MIT Solve is an open-innovation initiative from the MIT that provides social impact and entrepreneurship services, connecting startups with funding and resources to address global challenges.

Chairman of PICTT, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed, speaking in a media briefing at PICTT office in Abuja on Thursday said 10 out of 20 innovators from the DELTA 2 and DELT-Her cohorts whose solutions are at various stages of scale readiness, after pitching to a team of judges, will be selected to partake in the six-month acceleration programme with MIT Solve, Boston Massachusetts.

He said drawing on an intake assessment of individual and cohort needs, MIT Solve will design targeted programming to help innovators refine their business models, strengthen their pitches, and build the entrepreneurial leadership needed to grow.

According a statement from NASENI, throughout the six months programme, cohort convenings will bring innovators together with peers and invited ecosystem stakeholders, including industry associations, academic institutions, and other local partners, to build the ecosystem and visibility that early-stage Nigerian innovators need to scale.

According to Dr. Mohammed, the uniqueness of this initiative is that it has government support and backing and provides the Delta-2 and DELT-Her innovators access to global partners to support them to scale and become commercially viable.

He said “the Delta-2 Programme is focused on helping entrepreneurs access funding and partners from across the world to build on their innovations or to undertake research development and innovation activities that would bring about commercially viable products that would help Nigeria’s industrial development.

“The Second initiative is DELT-Her which focuses on female engineers across Nigeria to access opportunities to showcase their research and innovations and get them to the market”, noting that Nigeria has below average numbers of female engineers compared to the global average.

He said the partnership between NASENI, PICTT and MIT Solve is a “game changer” that will fast track the scaling up of innovators from DELTA-2 and DELT-Her programmes, even as he lauded  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the level playing ground and founding for NASENI and PICTT to support Nigerian Innovators.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to the media included Prof.  Christopher Ihueze( Delta2), Tseko Torkwase Priscilla (DELT-Her)Riskat Adeby (DELT-Her) and Dr. Ilorter Grace(Delta2)  and they have their innovations in different areas  to provide solutions.

Among the judges that will select the 10 finalists for the MIT Solve accelerator programme include Halima Tauheed, MIT Solve; Olamide Apejoye, Project Coordinator; Musa Ali Baba, Consultant to PICTT, Chief Tunde Rahman, judge and others.