NextGen 2025: Nigerian Innovation Takes Center Stage at National Showcase in Abuja

Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, Director General and CEO of NBTI.

In a powerful display of talent, vision, and homegrown ingenuity, the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) convened the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2025 National Showcase at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja. The theme, “Igniting Indigenous Ingenuity: Nigerian Solutions, Global Impact,” brought together over 3,000 applicants and culminated in a showcase of 37 trailblazing innovators, one from each Nigerian state and the FCT.

Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, Director General and CEO of NBTI, described the showcase as more than an event. He called it a “national re-awakening movement.” He emphasized that Nigeria’s most valuable resource is not its oil or minerals but the creative genius of its people.

“We are scripting a new chapter, not based on what lies beneath the ground but on what rises from the minds of Nigerians,” Dr. Raji declared.

The challenge, which launched on May 28 at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council in Abuja, has captured national attention. Coverage spanned from Yola to Victoria Island and inspired a surge of interest across universities, tech hubs, and local innovation centers.

Dr. Raji attributed the surge in innovation momentum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria First Policy, which emphasize indigenous solutions and prioritize local talent. Nigeria’s recent inclusion in the BRICS economic alliance was also highlighted as a historic opportunity. This inclusion opens access to global markets and partnerships across emerging economies.

“These are not just policies,” Raji noted, “they are platforms built to empower Nigerian innovators and position our nation as a force in global innovation.”

Raji called on stakeholders across all sectors to support this renaissance.

• To the private sector: provide capital and confidence

• To development partners: offer strategic investments

• To state governors: extend sponsorships

• To the media: amplify this narrative of national transformation

• To all Nigerians: Believe in ourselves again

The Director General urged innovators to evolve from prototype to production, emphasizing viability and scalability.

“Build for Nigeria. Design for Africa. Compete for the world,” he charged, encouraging innovators to align their solutions with national priorities such as energy access, food security, education, and healthcare.

NBTI, in partnership with trusted project management consultants UKALD, reaffirmed its role as an enabler, fostering not just individual success but a national innovation ecosystem.

In closing, Dr. Raji passionately rejected outdated stereotypes and reframed the global perception of Nigeria.

“We are not a nation of fraudsters. We are a nation of thinkers, builders, and solvers.”

OSRS applauds the NBTI and all NextGen 2025 innovators. At a time when Africa urgently needs self-driven solutions, this showcase proves that Nigeria is not only ready but rising, with indigenous innovation as its torch.