By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Mr Kazeem Raji, on Tuesday outlined sweeping reforms, historic funding gains and growing global recognition recorded by the agency within one year of his leadership.

Speaking at a world press conference in Abuja, Raji said the past year marked a turning point for NBTI, positioning innovation, indigenous technology and enterprise development at the centre of Nigeria’s economic transformation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He attributed the agency’s progress to what he described as “presidentially enabled and policy-driven” reforms, noting that innovation has become a strategic pillar of national development.

A major highlight of the briefing was the statutory allocation of four per cent of the National Development Levy to NBTI under the Tax Reform Acts 2025. Raji described the move as the most significant milestone in the agency’s history, providing predictable and sustainable funding and ending decades of dependence on unstable annual budget cycles.

According to him, the development was made possible through strong executive-legislative collaboration, with special commendation to the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, for his role in driving the reform through the National Assembly.

Raji said the new funding framework has strengthened NBTI’s institutional relevance and capacity to plan long-term interventions aimed at converting Nigerian ideas into globally competitive industries.

He explained that upon assuming office on January 20, 2025, NBTI faced funding constraints, weak research-to-market pipelines and limited adoption of disruptive technologies. However, he said the agency embarked on deliberate institutional reforms, including governance renewal, improved accountability systems and staff-focused policies.

Among the reforms highlighted were the introduction of computer-based testing for promotions, staff welfare improvements, local and international capacity-building programmes, acquisition of CNG buses for staff mobility and expansion of technology incubation centres nationwide.

On global engagement, Raji said NBTI re-established itself as a hub for innovation partnerships, forging collaborations across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. These partnerships, he said, have opened access to funding, mentorship, intellectual property protection and international markets for Nigerian innovators.

He cited the NextGen Innovation Challenge as a flagship programme that has elevated Nigeria’s innovation profile globally. The 2025 edition, which climaxed in London, attracted over 3,000 applications, showcased 105 Nigerian innovators and facilitated investments ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 for selected startups.

Raji disclosed that a clean-energy solution, Interface Africa, secured £1.5 million in investment, while the programme gained endorsements from Innovate UK and recognition through a BBC documentary and extensive global media coverage.

He further announced that the Commonwealth of Nations has formally adopted the NextGen Innovation Challenge for rollout across its 56 member countries, with the inaugural Caribbean edition scheduled for 2026 in Barbados and Antigua.

In another milestone, Innovate UK has recognised NextGen as a global talent pipeline and agreed to admit 20 outstanding Nigerian innovators into its ecosystem on a fully funded basis in 2026.

Raji also unveiled the launch of NBTI Global NATImart, a digital marketplace designed to promote Made-in-Nigeria products and services globally. He said the platform is projected to facilitate between $1 billion and $5 billion in annual transactions when fully operational, while supporting thousands of jobs and boosting exports.
Looking ahead, he said the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 would focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced semiconductors, green energy, climate resilience, telecommunications, safety technologies and gender-inclusive innovation. The programme will kick off with boot camps in Abuja and conclude with a grand finale in London.

Raji announced new partnerships with the University of Toronto, Canada, and African Impact Initiatives, describing them as a boost to NextGen’s transcontinental reach and credibility.
In his closing remarks, the NBTI boss reaffirmed his commitment to the Nigeria First Policy and President Tinubu’s vision of building an innovation-driven economy that creates jobs, attracts investment and secures Nigeria’s future.

He thanked the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, NBTI staff, international partners and members of the press for their support, declaring that NBTI had “regained confidence, innovators have regained hope, and Nigeria has gained momentum.”