Speaking during his Independence Day address, Tinubu said Nigeria’s young population has the talent, energy and ambition needed to drive economic production.

“I want young Nigerians building unicorns and creating opportunities for others here at home,” he said.

The President linked this ambition to government plans to expand digital connectivity, develop employer-demanded skills and provide businesses with infrastructure and finance.

Ayodele Ayo-Akande, Technical Assistant, Governance and Digital Communication, Ekiti State, said the initiative had provided a foundation for building a state-wide innovation ecosystem and creating opportunities for young people.

“If I were to identify one major achievement of this tenure, it would be the establishment and development of the Ekiti Start-Up Garage as a foundation for a state-wide innovation ecosystem,” Ayo-Akande said.

He explained that the Garage was more than a physical facility, as it provides opportunities for talent discovery, mentorship, technology development and collaboration among young innovators.

According to him, the initiative is designed to connect young people with business opportunities and help turn innovative ideas into practical solutions and businesses.

Ayo-Akande said the establishment of the Garage demonstrated the administration’s commitment to making innovation a practical driver of economic development in the state.

He, however, noted that the achievement should not be considered in isolation, as the government had also been developing other structures required to sustain a digital economy.

He listed innovation hubs, skills programmes, funding mechanisms, policy frameworks and digital infrastructure among the initiatives supporting the state’s technology ecosystem.

Ayo-Akande said the broader vision was to create an environment where young people could discover their talents, acquire relevant skills, develop products, access mentorship and funding, and build sustainable businesses without leaving Ekiti.

Ayodele Ayo-Akande, Technical Assistant, Governance and Digital Communication, Ekiti State, disclosed this while highlighting the state’s efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and digital skills among young people.

Ayo-Akande said that since the establishment of the Ministry in August 2023, the government had focused on initiatives including the Ekiti Start-Up Garage, Innovation Summits, STEAM Bootcamp, digital policy development, broadband and government network infrastructure, as well as the Innovation Enterprise Support Fund.

He described the Start-Up Garage as a major part of the state’s technology ecosystem because it provides infrastructure, mentorship, incubation and opportunities for collaboration.

“In 2025, the State Government also approved over N1.065 billion for a permanent facility for the Garage, which is now nearing completion,” he said.

According to him, the Start-Up Garage has recorded 250 users, trainees and supported innovators, while 350 public school students have participated in the two editions of the STEAM Bootcamp.

He added that the two Innovation Summits attracted about 4,000 participants, while 75 beneficiaries participated in the Founders’ Bootcamp, with seed funding of up to £35,000 provided through IUK-KTN.

Ayo-Akande further disclosed that 169 beneficiaries had benefited from the Innovation Enterprise Support Fund, while digital-skills programmes and connectivity initiatives had reached more than 750,000 citizens.

On job creation, he said the government’s strategy was to help young people move beyond simply consuming technology to creating businesses and employment opportunities.

“Our strategy is to move young people from being mere consumers of technology to becoming creators, entrepreneurs and employers of labour,” Ayo-Akande said.

He explained that the government was pursuing this through incubation, mentorship, innovation competitions, technical training and support for early-stage businesses.

According to him, the Innovation Enterprise Support Fund, approved with N100 million in 2024, was designed to support digital innovators and startups with resources, mentorship and access to investment opportunities.

He cited Team Savvy, a group of three young Ekiti innovators, as an example of the impact of the initiatives. The team won N5 million at the HarabiPay Squad Hackathon 2.0 with its fintech solution, Splitwise.

“We attribute part of their journey to exposure through the Innovation Summit and mentorship at the Start-Up Garage,” he said.

Ayo-Akande said the broader ambition was to create a continuous pipeline through which young people could progress from talent discovery and skills development to business incubation, funding and access to markets.

Nigeria’s delegation comprised eight entrepreneurs, seven of whom were beneficiaries of NBTI’s Technology Incubation Programme.

The Nigerian team emerged winner of the Innovation Growth Category, while Fatima Zara Uthman, Founder and CEO of Nature Sleek and an entrepreneur from the NBTI Technology Incubation Centre in Niger State, emerged the overall winner of the Beauty and Skincare Category.

The championship attracted more than 4,000 startups from over 40 countries, providing entrepreneurs with an international platform to showcase their innovations to industry experts, academics, venture capitalists and other key stakeholders.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NBTI, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, commended the Nigerian entrepreneurs for their performance, particularly in market acceptability, sustainability, validation and certification.

Raji described the achievement as evidence of the capacity of Nigerian innovators to compete successfully on the global stage.

According to him, the feat also validates NBTI’s interventions in technology incubation, enterprise development and capacity building aimed at transforming innovative ideas into viable, sustainable and scalable businesses.

He attributed the success to the dedication and innovative capacity of the entrepreneurs, as well as the efforts of NBTI’s Technology Incubation Centres in preparing Nigerian enterprises for opportunities beyond the country.

The NBTI boss congratulated Zara and the other supported entrepreneurs, saying their achievement further strengthens Nigeria’s position in the global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

He also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to expanding its incubation ecosystem and creating more opportunities for Nigerian innovators to access global markets, technical expertise, investment, mentorship and strategic partnerships.

Raji urged the winners to see the recognition as a platform to scale their businesses, create opportunities for others and contribute to Nigeria’s economic and technological development.

Success made the call at the third edition of the Cloudde Growth Conference, held at the University of Lagos, where creators, founders and business owners from Lagos, Osun, Ibadan and Ogun gathered to discuss growth, branding, creativity and business execution.

The conference, themed “Kinesis ’26” with the subtheme “Emergence Beyond Limits,” focused on the need for individuals to turn ambition into visible results through consistent action.

Speaking during a fireside chat, Success explained that the central idea behind the conference was execution, stressing that ideas and plans could not produce results without the willingness to act.

He linked the message to the law of inertia, noting that movement does not happen without an external force capable of setting things in motion.

Success also spoke about his popular statement, “The work against poverty is not small,” stressing that the fight against poverty requires sustained commitment rather than occasional effort.

According to him, people cannot afford to show up only when they feel motivated, as achieving meaningful results requires discipline, consistency and a willingness to keep working even when the process becomes difficult.

The conference also featured sessions from storytelling coach Busayo Joan and transformational leader Victor Oba, who spoke on content creation, authenticity, personal branding, leadership and visibility.

Joan urged creators to develop their own voices rather than imitate others, while Oba challenged participants to decide whether they wanted to become trends or trailblazers.

The event also featured a panel session on entrepreneurship and business growth, as well as the presentation of the N1.05 million Infinitigrant to 10 business owners.

The grant competition attracted 1,067 applicants and passed through four stages before the final 10 beneficiaries emerged through a virtual pitching session.

The launch was unveiled during a live session on the founder’s Instagram page, where she walked her audience through a detailed demonstration of the app’s features and capabilities in real time.

Designed with a clean and intuitive interface, the app allows users to save money with the support of automated reminders that encourage consistency. It also includes a unique social feature that notifies users when other women within the community are saving at the same time, fostering a sense of shared motivation and accountability. To further encourage disciplined saving habits, the platform introduces six distinct “Tribe” levels, each representing a different tier of savings commitment and progress.

FinTribe itself is not new to the financial empowerment space; it is a thriving community she founded for women pursuing financial growth and independence. The community, which has been active for more than four years, has grown into a global network of women who come together not only to save but also to expand their financial literacy. Members regularly participate in educational sessions, monthly savings, structured training programmes, and open discussions aimed at building stronger financial habits and long-term wealth.

During the live launch, Financial Jennifer also revealed several upcoming incentives designed to reward active participation on the platform. These include the opportunity to win scholarships, fully funded international trips, and access to high-interest savings options tailored to different financial goals.
Notably, funds saved through these options can be withdrawn at any time, offering users both flexibility and the potential for greater returns.

To celebrate the launch, the event also featured a giveaway session in which ten women were selected to receive rewards, adding an extra layer of excitement to the occasion.

With the app now live, Financial Jennifer and the FinTribe team have set an ambitious short-term goal: to onboard 1,000 women who will download and actively use the app within the next few days, marking what they hope will be a significant milestone in the community’s ongoing mission to promote financial empowerment among women.

The agency made the call at a Nigeria Startup Act Incentive Activation Co-Creation Session held in Abuja, where stakeholders examined ways to ensure that startups and businesses within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem can effectively benefit from the legislation.

Representing NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, the National Coordinator of ONDI, Ms Victoria Fabunmi, said Nigeria had made important progress since the enactment of the Startup Act but needed to move into a phase focused more strongly on delivering measurable outcomes.

She said the establishment of the Startup Consultative Forum and its governance structures had created an important platform for sustained engagement among stakeholders. However, she stressed that the real measure of the legislation would be its impact on businesses operating within the innovation ecosystem.

According to her, government agencies, private-sector actors and other stakeholders must work collectively to remove institutional bottlenecks and ensure that startups can access the opportunities created by the Act.

Inuwa said participating institutions had different mandates, resources and policy instruments which, if properly coordinated, could significantly improve the operating environment for Nigerian startups.

“We want to go to the next level. We want to be able to say that the actors in our ecosystem have been able to benefit significantly from the legislation that has been passed, and it wouldn’t happen without everyone sitting in this room.”

He urged stakeholders to shift their focus from simply having the Startup Act in place to ensuring its practical implementation, particularly the activation of incentives designed to promote investment, innovation and enterprise growth.

Mmadubuko stated this while speaking with National Focus in a telephone interview, stressing that access to funding was crucial for young innovators to develop and scale technology products capable of addressing problems across different sectors.

According to him, Nigeria has numerous technology ideas that could provide solutions to challenges in agriculture, politics and other sectors, particularly through the use of artificial intelligence, but many of the ideas fail to reach the market because their founders lack the financial resources to develop them.

He said the government also needed to create stronger channels for engaging with technology startups and innovators, arguing that there was inadequate representation of young technology companies at the highest levels of government.

Mmadubuko further expressed concern about startup competitions, saying that some young founders may be reluctant to participate because of fears that their ideas could be copied by individuals or organisations with stronger government connections.

“If we then decide to go for competition where we could get funded, what do we get? We get people stealing our ideas because they have government backing or they could probably be funded,” he said.

Recalling his experience as a young innovator, Mmadubuko said he won the Ogun Tech Challenge in 2018 alongside colleagues from other universities during the administration of former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

He, however, said the recognition did not come with the financial support he expected, noting that the winners received handshakes from the governor’s representative but no monetary reward.

“I won Ogun Tech Challenge with a couple of my colleagues and also a group of other people from other universities. What did we get? We got handshakes from the governor’s representative. What did we get? We got nothing. We didn’t get our money, the promise we got, nothing out of that,” he said.

According to him, the experience could discourage young Nigerians from pursuing their technological ambitions, especially when competitions fail to deliver promised support.

He said the experience prompted him to stop participating in public technology competitions and instead focus on developing products and attracting customers through word-of-mouth referrals, organic leads and traditional marketing.

Mmadubuko said the strategy had enabled Analaize to grow its customer base, adding that the company had so far served more than 150 businesses.

He called for greater investment in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, particularly funding opportunities and stronger government support that would enable young founders to turn innovative ideas into viable products.

The event opened with a panel session themed “The University as Leverage: How Founders Turn Knowledge into Venture-Ready Solutions,” moderated by Miss Favour Urhiofe.

Panelists included the founder of Waltersam Global Tech Ltd., Mr. Samuel Johnson (Waltersam); the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Cubbes, Mr. Peter Adeyemi, represented by a member of his team; and the founder of YarnGPT, Mr. Saheed Azeez Ayaniyi.

The speakers described universities as more than centres for academic learning, noting that they provide an environment where students can develop practical skills, build meaningful relationships and access opportunities that support entrepreneurship.

They said universities offer founders access to mentorship, innovation hubs, funding opportunities and collaborative networks capable of transforming ideas into sustainable businesses.

Speaking on the importance of mentorship, Johnson said entrepreneurs benefit greatly from guidance provided by experienced professionals. He explained that mentors help founders navigate challenges, expand their networks and identify opportunities that may otherwise remain inaccessible.

He also noted that the university environment naturally encourages innovation because students are surrounded by ambitious individuals working to solve real-world problems. According to him, the reputation of a university can also enhance the credibility of young founders and make it easier for their ventures to gain recognition.

Johnson encouraged participants to share their ideas rather than keep them private, explaining that constructive feedback often helps founders identify weaknesses, discover new opportunities and improve the scalability of their solutions. He added that collaboration frequently produces stronger outcomes than working in isolation.

Representing Cubbes, Adeyemi’s representative urged students to intentionally take advantage of opportunities within the university community. He encouraged them to pursue internships, join innovation communities and student clubs, volunteer for projects and embrace continuous learning to maximise their university experience.

The panel also highlighted the importance of collaboration in entrepreneurship, warning that building startups alone can limit creativity and decision-making. The speakers noted that co-founders and trusted collaborators provide accountability, complementary skills and motivation, especially during difficult periods.

Participants were further encouraged to embrace innovation, remain open to learning and make deliberate use of the networks and resources available within the university ecosystem.

The opening panel set the tone for the 72-hour innovation fair, inspiring participants to see the university not only as a place of learning but also as a platform for developing innovative ideas, forming strategic partnerships and building businesses capable of creating lasting impact.

Delivering his opening address, the Ag, Director of NITHUB, Prof. Victor Odumuyiwa, reflected on the hub’s journey over the past five years, saying it has evolved into one of Nigeria’s leading innovation ecosystems and has empowered more than 20,000 people with technology skills.

Also speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to producing graduates equipped with both academic knowledge and practical innovation skills.

She said the university, through the NITHUB, initiative has created an enabling ecosystem that supports students in developing ideas into successful startups.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the partnership is built on three key pillars: talent development, idea execution, startup incubation and startup acceleration.

She encouraged students to embrace failure as part of the entrepreneurial journey, stressing that setbacks should serve as learning opportunities rather than reasons to abandon their ambitions. Prof. Ogunsola also urged young innovators to develop their talents within Nigeria and contribute to the country’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Tinubu said Nigeria fully supports the ECOWAS Compact for the Future of Regional Integration, particularly its focus on digital transformation.

According to the President, the establishment of a Digital Single Market, supported by regional frameworks for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems, will create an enabling environment for startups to scale beyond national borders.

He noted that the initiative would help young entrepreneurs access larger markets, attract investment and develop technology-driven solutions capable of addressing regional challenges.

Tinubu said the Digital Single Market would also promote financial inclusion, improve access to digital services, strengthen innovation ecosystems and create jobs for millions of young people across West Africa.

“The establishment of a Digital Single Market, regional frameworks on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity cooperation, digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems will unlock new opportunities for economic diversification, entrepreneurship, education, financial inclusion and job creation, particularly for young people,” he said.

He added that a unified regional digital ecosystem would position West Africa as a competitive player in the global digital economy while accelerating inclusive growth across ECOWAS member states.

Beyond digital innovation, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing the ECOWAS Compact, pledging continued support for policies that promote regional integration, eliminate trade barriers and improve infrastructure to enable businesses and technology companies to thrive across the sub-region.