Nigerian innovators with functional prototypes or market-ready products now have a shot at acceleration support worth up to $25,000, following the launch of the NASENI xceler8 Programme by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI.
The programme, unveiled at the NASENI Innovation Hub in Abuja, is being run in partnership with AfriLabs, Africa’s largest network of innovation and technology hubs. It targets 100 innovators across four cohorts, with a goal of refining 100 Minimum Viable Products and creating at least 400 direct and indirect jobs.
Speaking at the launch, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu — represented by his Special Adviser on ICT and Emerging Technologies, Dr. Bashir Aliyu — said the true measure of innovation is not the number of research papers or prototypes produced, but their ability to become products that solve real problems, attract investment and create jobs.
“Innovations that remain in laboratories cannot deliver their full social and economic value,” Halilu said, stressing that commercialization is essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
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The programme is open to Nigerians aged 15 to 40 who already have functional MVPs or live commercial products with evidence of paying customers. Applicants must present science, engineering or technology-driven solutions.
Participants will receive support in product refinement, business development, market access, technical mentorship and investment readiness, while the top 10 innovators in each cohort will pitch to investors and industry stakeholders at a Demo Day in Abuja.
Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, Mrs. Busola Perez-Folayan, described the initiative as “a structured pathway from onboarding and mentorship to market validation and investment readiness.”
AfriLabs Executive Director, Mrs. Nanko Madu, said Nigeria does not lack talent or ideas, but needs stronger systems to move innovations beyond the prototype stage. She noted that the organisation’s network of over 540 hubs across 54 African countries would connect participants to mentors, investors and markets continent-wide.
Managing Director of Vidaho Limited, Mr. Austin Onele, drew attention to the heavy financing needs of deep-tech ventures, which he said require substantial investment in research, engineering, certification, manufacturing and commercialization.
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