On Thursday, at the bustling GITEX Nigeria 10x Stage inside Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, the future took a bold leap forward with the launch of InnovateNaija—a N250 million innovation challenge aimed at putting Nigerian youth at the centre of technological transformation.
The event, hosted by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), drew an impressive lineup of government leaders, industry chiefs, and policymakers, all united by one conviction: Nigerian youth hold the key to the nation’s industrial growth.
Delivering the opening goodwill message, Director-General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, hailed NASENI’s repositioning as a youth-centric agency.
“Before, I don’t think NASENI was under the youth radar but today, many people know NASENI and associate with NASENI as a youth centric agency. An agency that promotes innovation, supports youth and challenges the status quo. We are happy to have another government agency pushing for innovation. At NITDA, we are happy to associate ourselves with InnovateNaija and we are going to be part of it. We will add some prizes to it. We will go beyond just cash prizes. We want to work with innovators to ensure we develop solutions that will solve our national problems. Solutions that will put Nigeria on the map of the global technology ecosystem.”
That challenge—linking youthful creativity with national development—was echoed by Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development, who described Nigerian innovation as “part of our DNA.” He said the platform would empower collaboration and inclusivity, saying, “Across the country, Nigerian youths are already proving that innovation is in our DNA. Capacity is in our DNA. This platform is for every young Nigerian to collaborate and to look into the future of this nation and believe that things can happen in the nation. Through this event we are building a process that is open, inclusive and also empowering.”
The energy inside Landmark was infectious. While panel discussions unpacked policies shaping Africa’s innovation future, the parallel “GITEX Unplugged-‘Elevate Stage’” pulsed with pitches from young innovators battling for recognition.
For Mohammed Ogoshi-Onawo, Deputy Chairman of NASENI, the significance of GITEX landing in Lagos went beyond the glitz.
He said, “For GITEX to come to Nigeria alone is an achievement because the world’s attention is going to be focused on what the youth in Nigeria are doing. And we are glad it’s here. In the whole of Africa, Nigeria has the largest population of youth. And these youth are more talented than youth you can find anywhere in the world. The Silicon Valley we hear of in America, it’s in every house in Nigeria. Only that they don’t have the opportunity. If you give a Nigerian youth an opportunity, you will be surprised with what he can do. Nigerian youths have brains to do lots of things. Only that they don’t have the means.
“We are calling on all the private sectors to see what opportunities this occasion is coming up with, so that they can help with funds, with opportunities. The banks should help with access to capital with almost zero interest so that at least the youths can be employers of labor. Each innovation is capable of employing lots and lots of youths. So it’s an opportunity that Nigeria should not drop.”
Speaking on the competition and his expectations for the innovations, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO said, “We are launching InnovateNaija which is the biggest innovation challenge in the region. This is the government saying we believe in the youth, we believe in their innovation. I think that they(the youth) should be looking at things that solve real problems. Not just fancy things, but things that solve daily problems of the average Nigerian and can also scale at an African level. Everyone is welcome. Apply. We can’t wait to see your innovations. And we are calling on other partners, especially the governors, to support innovations coming from their various states, so that it can be scaled at not just African but international level.”
The N250 million prize pool is structured to reach across the federation. Each state and the FCT will produce one winner—37 in total—through public voting, with each receiving N2.5 million to refine their projects. From there, the top 15 innovators will compete at the NASENI Innovation Fest in Abuja, February 2026.
The ultimate victor will walk away with N100 million, a life-changing grant to bring groundbreaking solutions to scale.
More than a competition, InnovateNaija doubles as the pre-launch of the NASENI Innovation Hub, a national facility designed to bridge gaps between ideas and market-ready products. In partnership with AfriLabs and backed by the Presidency, the hub will accelerate Nigeria’s transition from consumer to creator in the global tech economy.
With youth making up the majority of Nigeria’s population, the stakes are existential. Government leaders at GITEX agreed: innovation is not optional—it is survival. From combating unemployment to breaking the cycle of underdevelopment, empowering young innovators may well be Nigeria’s fastest route to industrialisation.
And with InnovateNaija, Nigeria is sending a powerful message: the nation’s future will not just be imported—it will be invented at home.
Melissa Enoch
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