Abuja: The Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Raji, has emphasized that Nigerian innovators have the potential to compete on a global scale when they receive structured institutional support and development. He made this statement in Abuja while welcoming eight Nigerian innovators back home after their participation in the SEE Pakistan 2026 World Startup Championship held in Lahore.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Nigerian delegation, which comprised innovators from NBTI Technology Incubation Centres located across eight states, succeeded in securing two major awards from a pool of over 4,000 applications submitted by participants from more than 40 countries. Dr. Raji highlighted that these accomplishments affirm the Federal Government’s dedication to commercializing local technologies and transforming Nigerian startups into globally competitive enterprises.
Dr. Raji commented on the global achievements, noting that they highlight the significant potential of Nigerian innovators when they receive appropriate mentorship, technical training, and institutional backing. The board remains focused on enhancing technology incubation and facilitating direct access for entrepreneurs to international markets, venture capital, and strategic global partnerships.
Nigeria earned the Country Award in the Growth and Innovation Category, while Ms. Zahra Uthman of Nature’s Sleek Ltd. (NBTI Minna) was awarded the Best Skincare and Beauty Products award. Dr. Raji praised the efforts of the NBTI technical officers, center managers, and mentors for their comprehensive pre-competition preparations, which prepared the entrepreneurs for international success.
Mr. Ndotehyin Ekanem, the Team Leader, speaking on behalf of the delegation, credited their success to specialized training in project management, export preparedness, and quality management offered under the NBTI Incubation Programme. He explained that the team engaged in intensive business-to-business and business-to-consumer boot camps in Lahore, where they presented locally developed technologies to global venture capitalists and angel investors.
Ekanem mentioned that each participating country was given an exhibition booth, and the Nigerian delegation garnered substantial interest from global partners eager to establish commercial ties for their software and physical products. He called on the Federal Government to provide dedicated expansion capital for global commercialization of their products and requested an official presentation of the team to President Bola Tinubu.
Additionally, Ekanem urged state governments to collaborate with NBTI by offering manufacturing infrastructure, which would enable local innovators to scale up production and drive youth employment. The entrepreneurs represented NBTI incubation centers in Uyo, Ile-Ife, Ibadan, Minna, Kaduna, Lagos, Bauchi, and Port Harcourt at the championship event organized by OIC-COMSTECH in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities Pakistan (APSUP).