FG moves to boost innovation hubs for jobs, entrepreneurship

The Federal Government wants innovation hubs across Nigeria to become stronger engines of entrepreneurship and job creation, as it seeks to expand the benefits of the digital economy beyond the country’s major technology centres.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said Nigeria needed greater investment in technology hubs, innovation spaces and ecosystem builders to provide young entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, mentorship and infrastructure required to develop businesses.

Speaking in Abuja at the National Innovation Hub Standards Framework Validation Workshop recently, Tijani said strengthening local innovation ecosystems would help young Nigerians develop solutions to local challenges while creating employment opportunities and supporting economic diversification.

He noted that the success of prominent Nigerian technology companies had demonstrated the potential of the country’s innovation ecosystem, but argued that greater attention was needed for the hubs and communities that help entrepreneurs develop their ideas.

Tijani said his experience managing a technology hub had shown him the importance of spaces where young people could access knowledge, mentorship, networks and other forms of support.

“Imagine if we had all the hubs in Nigeria at the same level of quality as the best hubs in the country. There would be more technology businesses, more innovation and better opportunities across the country,” he noted.

The minister said investment in digital infrastructure must be matched by investment in the people and institutions capable of turning connectivity into economic opportunities.

The government is expanding digital infrastructure through investments in fibre-optic connectivity, telecommunications infrastructure and satellite technology, while also developing other parts of the digital ecosystem, including digital identity and cloud infrastructure.

Tijani said those investments would have limited impact if innovation hubs lacked the resources and capacity to attract and retain skilled people.

The government’s push comes as innovation activities remain concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and a limited number of other states, leaving many communities without access to the networks and support available in Nigeria’s main technology centres.

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, said NITDA had identified more than 339 innovation hubs across Nigeria, although a significant number were concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and about 10 other states.

Inuwa said some hubs outside the major innovation centres were still operating mainly as training centres and required additional support to develop into full innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship centres.

He argued that the proposed National Innovation Hub Standards Framework would provide hubs with a structured way to assess their capabilities, identify gaps and improve their operations without imposing rigid requirements on operators.

“Innovation does not happen in isolation; it happens in an ecosystem. And that ecosystem does not happen by accident; it happens by design,” Inuwa stated.

The framework contains seven key dimensions and about 35 assessment categories that hubs can use to evaluate their level of development and identify areas requiring improvement.

Inuwa said a stronger network of hubs would allow communities to harness local talent, develop solutions to local problems and build businesses without forcing young innovators to relocate to Lagos or Abuja to access the necessary ecosystem.

He also called for greater private-sector participation in providing risk capital, saying the government alone could not sustainably finance the growth of startups and emerging businesses.

Inuwa identified talent, risk capital, large corporations and government as key pillars of a functional innovation ecosystem and urged stronger collaboration among the stakeholders.

He also called for deeper links between universities and industry, saying higher institutions should play a more active role in research, entrepreneurship, digital skills development and partnerships with businesses.

NITDA is working with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital skills into formal education, with the aim of preparing graduates to participate more effectively in the digital economy.

The standards framework remains a draft, with NITDA seeking contributions from hub founders, investors, development partners, government institutions, academia and other stakeholders before its finalisation.

The initiative is intended to strengthen innovation ecosystems across the country and give young Nigerians greater access to the support needed to turn ideas into sustainable businesses, potentially widening the geographic base of technology-driven