The programme, announced on Thursday during the GITAX Nigeria Startup Festival 2025 in Abuja, comes with a total prize fund of ₦250 million for winning innovators.
Unveiling the scheme, Mr. Anas Balarabe Yazid, Special Adviser on Commercialisation to the Executive Vice-Chairman of NASENI, said the challenge is designed to “find, fund and fast-track the best home-grown products into solutions that work locally and can scale globally.”
“If you’ve built something that works, even if it’s rough around the edges, this stage is for you. Apply from any of the 36 states and the FCT. Submit online and post on social media tagging @NASENIhub and @NASENIHQ,” Yazid explained.
Statewide Selection and National Pitch
Under the selection process, five innovations will be shortlisted from each state and the FCT. The public will then vote for 37 winners, who will advance to the national stage. From this pool, 15 finalists will be invited to pitch live at the NASENI Invention Festival.
Yazid also disclosed that state governors and the FCT Minister have been invited to match NASENI’s financial and institutional support for winners from their jurisdictions. “The seed planted here can grow right at home,” he said.
Boosting Nigeria’s Innovation Economy
The initiative, according to NASENI, is part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s grassroots creativity into scalable enterprises.
“Build here, sell to the world; innovation lives in every LGA — let’s give it a lift. With the right support, Nigerian ingenuity becomes Nigerian industry,” Yazid declared.
He also commended the leadership style of NASENI’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, describing it as “practical, inclusive, and brave — funding what works, elevating women innovators, and opening NASENI’s doors to everyone who can build.”