Nigeria has secured a $12.1 million grant from Japan to develop a startup hub in Abuja, an ambitious move to position the country’s administrative capital as a nucleus for tech innovation.
The National Information Technology Development Agency disclosed the agreement in a statement on Thursday, following a signing ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja.
The grant, courtesy of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, will bankroll the hub running from April 2025 to December 2030, managed by NITDA and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
The technology agency said it’s part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to kickstart digital innovation, pull in private capital, and churn out jobs—potentially spawning Nigeria’s next tech unicorns.
Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Bagudu inked the pact for Nigeria, with JICA’s Deputy Head of Mission, Hitoshi Kozaki, signing for Japan.
Part of the statement read, “The National Information Technology Development Agency has formalised its partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency through a JPY 1.6 billion (USD 12.1 million) grant for the development of Abuja Start-up Hub.”
This isn’t NITDA’s first synergy with JICA. Last year, they rolled out iHatch, a six-month startup incubator that’s spawned 117 direct jobs and 370 indirect ones, with plans to scale it across Nigeria’s 36 states and the capital.
“We have been collaborating with them on so many initiatives like iHatch. The pilot we did resulted in creating over 117 direct jobs and more than 370 indirect jobs, and now we are working together with them to expand it to all 36 states and the FCT,” NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa said.
“The initiative provides Nigerian startups with six months of incubation, leveraging JICA’s expertise and resources to develop market-ready products.”
