The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, has led 298 Nigerian innovators to London, United Kingdom, to showcase indigenous technologies and attract international investment, strategic partnerships and access to global markets.

The innovators are participating in the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 International Grand Finale and Global Innovation Showcase, holding on Friday, October 9, at the Platinum Suite, ExCeL Exhibition Centre, London, under the theme, “From Nigerian Ingenuity to Global Impact.”

Speaking at the event, Raji described the growing participation as evidence of Nigeria’s expanding innovation capacity, noting that the number of innovators at the London showcase had increased from 105 at the previous edition to 298 this year.

He said the initiative was designed to move beyond innovation competitions by establishing a sustainable pathway for transforming ideas into viable businesses, prototypes into market-ready products, and research into commercially successful enterprises.

According to him, NextGen was conceived as a national innovation pipeline and global commercialisation platform capable of identifying talents at the grassroots, nurturing innovative ideas, connecting entrepreneurs to capital and creating pathways to international markets.

Raji said the programme was developed to address persistent challenges facing Nigerian innovators, including inadequate access to finance, limited manufacturing opportunities, difficulties in commercialising research and insufficient connections to investors and international markets.

He noted that Nigeria had considerable innovation potential across agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing, education, financial inclusion, artificial intelligence, robotics, software development, climate resilience and other emerging technologies.

“What began as a Nigerian platform began attracting international attention,” Raji said, expressing optimism that the initiative could become a major vehicle for connecting Nigerian innovation with global business opportunities.

The NBTI chief executive called on international investors, venture capitalists, financial institutions, corporations, universities, technology companies and business accelerators to engage directly with the innovators and assess the commercial potential of their solutions.

He stressed that the Nigerian delegation was in London not merely for international exposure but to establish practical business relationships capable of delivering measurable economic benefits.

According to him, NBTI is seeking investment, technology licensing, manufacturing partnerships, joint ventures, research collaboration, distribution agreements, technology transfer and access to international markets.

He explained that successful innovation requires a structured process involving incubation, prototype development, product validation, investment readiness, financing, production and market expansion.

Raji maintained that government institutions alone could not build a sustainable innovation ecosystem, stressing the importance of collaboration among the public sector, universities, private businesses and investors.

He described the initiative as an innovation highway designed to connect Nigerian entrepreneurs with the finance, infrastructure, expertise and international networks required to scale their businesses.

The NBTI director-general also urged Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to support indigenous innovators through mentorship, investment, professional guidance and access to business networks.

He called on members of the diaspora to facilitate introductions to potential investors, connect emerging businesses with customers and organisations, and create opportunities for Nigerian technologies to enter the British market.

Raji said Nigerians abroad possessed valuable knowledge, professional relationships and business experience that could help local entrepreneurs overcome barriers to international expansion.

He urged them to move beyond celebrating Nigerian innovation to actively supporting its development and commercial success.

“Let us ensure that Nigerian innovation does not become valuable to Nigerians only after somebody else discovers it,” he said, advocating greater local ownership of the process of identifying, financing and scaling indigenous technologies.

Raji also highlighted the vision for the proposed Commonwealth-NBTI NextGen Innovation Challenge, which seeks to connect innovators, investors, universities, governments, accelerators and markets across the Commonwealth’s 56 member states.

He said the proposed platform could create opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs to access international accelerators, researchers to establish cross-border partnerships, and innovative businesses to secure funding and enter new markets.

According to him, such collaboration would enable technologies developed in one country to benefit from expertise, capital and commercial opportunities available in other Commonwealth member states.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria’s experience in identifying and nurturing grassroots innovation could contribute to a broader international innovation network.

Raji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s emphasis on economic reforms, investment, entrepreneurship, technology and human capital development.

He said the administration’s ambition of building a $1 trillion Nigerian economy underscored the need to strengthen local innovation, manufacturing, intellectual property development and enterprise creation.

The NBTI boss maintained that sustainable economic growth would require Nigerians to develop technologies, establish businesses, attract investments and compete successfully in international markets.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mukhtar Yawale Mohammed, towards advancing the country’s science, technology and innovation agenda.

Raji further appreciated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its diplomatic support, the British High Commission in Nigeria for its engagement with the programme, and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, for supporting efforts to strengthen bilateral relations in innovation and entrepreneurship.

He also commended UKALD, London, NBTI’s strategic partner, for its technical support, coordination, international networking and assistance in connecting Nigerian innovators with global opportunities.

Addressing the 298 participating innovators, Raji urged them to maximise the international exposure by demonstrating the commercial value of their technologies, understanding their target markets, protecting their intellectual property and building sustainable business models.

He challenged them to clearly communicate the problems their innovations solve, identify customers willing to pay for their solutions, demonstrate their competitive advantages and explain how investment would accelerate business growth.

He also praised NBTI staff across its technology incubation centres and headquarters for their dedication to identifying, mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs.

According to him, the long-term success of NextGen would be determined by the number of businesses established, technologies commercialised, investments secured, jobs created, factories developed and export opportunities generated.

Raji emphasised that the programme’s impact must extend beyond the London showcase to produce lasting economic benefits for Nigeria.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and position Nigerian entrepreneurs to compete more effectively in international markets.

The 2026 edition marks a significant expansion of the NextGen platform, with participation increasing from 105 innovators at the previous London edition to 298 this year.

Raji reaffirmed NBTI’s commitment to building an environment where promising Nigerian ideas can receive the support, financing and partnerships required to become successful enterprises.

He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that indigenous ingenuity translates into industrial growth, employment opportunities, wealth creation and national prosperity.