Japan pledges $10.4 million to expand innovation hubs in Nigeria

Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has pledged $10.4 million to expand innovation hubs across Nigeria, officials said at the foundation laying ceremony of the Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja. The money will widen access to incubation programmes and help young entrepreneurs develop market‑ready products.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), announced the pledge and said JICA is also working with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to set up a $50 million seed‑funding facility for startups. The facility aims to strengthen entrepreneurship, create jobs in the digital economy and broaden opportunities for Nigerian youths.

Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria Hideo Suzuki said Japan’s support rests on three pillars: strengthening policies and institutions, supporting early‑stage investment, and providing infrastructure through the Renewed Hope Startup Hub. He noted Japan prefers to nurture businesses over the long term rather than seek quick financial exits.

The partnership builds on more than six decades of diplomatic relations and reflects a joint effort to deepen cooperation in technology, innovation and human‑capital development. Abdullahi pointed out that NITDA’s Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) has already supported more than 995 startups and created 7,596 jobs, while 300 companies have received training through a digital export acceleration programme in the past three years.

NITDA aims to ensure every state in Nigeria hosts at least two functioning innovation hubs, extending support beyond major technology centres. The Renewed Hope Startup Hub is expected to serve as a national centre for incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who laid the foundation stone, urged NITDA to make the hub’s services accessible to young people regardless of location or background. She called for practical opportunities that enable innovators to develop prototypes, start businesses and reach international markets, warning that the hub should not become merely a physical structure.

The hub is made possible by grants from the Japanese government through JICA. In April of the previous year, NITDA secured a JPY 1.6 billion (US$12.1 million) grant from JICA for a startup hub in Abuja, marking a significant milestone in Japan‑Nigeria relations. With an emphasis on job creation, private‑sector investment and inclusive growth, the initiative aims to nurture the next generation of tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria.