By Chinenye Anuforo
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has unveiled InnovateNaija, Nigeria’s biggest innovation competition, with a prize pool of N250 million to support homegrown inventions in science, engineering, and manufacturing.
The initiative, backed by the Presidency, the NASENI Innovation Hub, and AfriLabs, officially kicked off on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the GITEX Nigeria 10x Stage, Landmark Event Centre, Lagos. Designed to inspire and showcase the nation’s brightest minds, InnovateNaija seeks to identify and fund transformative ideas capable of addressing Nigeria’s unique challenges while advancing technological growth.
Under the scheme, 37 state-level winners — one from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT — will be selected through public voting. Each will receive a N2.5 million grant to develop their innovations. The top 15 will advance to the grand finale at the NASENI Invention Fest in Abuja, scheduled for February 2026, where they will pitch their solutions before expert judges and stakeholders. The overall winner will secure N100 million in funding to scale their innovation.
Beyond the competition, NASENI also announced the pre-launch of its Innovation Hub in Abuja. The hub is designed to bridge the support gap for innovators by providing infrastructure, mentorship, capacity building, and funding opportunities.
Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Khalil Sulaiman Halilu, said the challenge reflects the agency’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for innovation to thrive.
“The InnovateNaija Challenge is an incredible opportunity, offering funding to 37 outstanding youths to bring their ideas to life. The NASENI Innovation Hub will nurture these sparks into scalable solutions, advancing Nigeria’s technological capabilities,” he said.
Executive Director of AfriLabs, Anna Ekeledo, described the initiative as a boost to Africa’s innovation ecosystem. “By empowering innovators across all states in Nigeria, this competition not only fuels creativity but also strengthens the innovation ecosystem. We are excited to support NASENI in spotlighting Nigerian ingenuity,” she noted.
Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, added that InnovateNaija will be a game changer for the tech community.
“Innovation is about taking ideas from inception to impact. Nigeria has many talented individuals with great ideas, but the challenge is finding a platform to demonstrate that these ideas can solve real problems. This initiative provides that platform, helping to transform ideas into commercial solutions that can solve local challenges and even be exported globally,” he explained.
The three-month competition is expected to attract nationwide participation, positioning Nigeria as a hub for grassroots innovation in Africa.
