Nigeria Expands Innovation Diplomacy with London and Doha Editions
By Aluta News
February 26, 2026
Nigeria is to strengthen its global innovation diplomacy drive with the expansion of the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026 to London and Doha, as the Federal Government seeks to attract foreign investment and position the country as a leading technology hub.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, launched the initiative at a world press conference in Abuja, describing NEXTGEN 2026 as a defining national platform designed to accelerate innovation, mobilise investment and project Nigeria as Africa’s innovation powerhouse.
Dr. Raji identified the initiative as a national development catalyst and a strategic global innovation diplomacy platform aimed at connecting Nigerian startups to international capital and markets.
Dr. Raji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s economic reforms and “Nigeria First Policy,” noting that innovation has been repositioned as a central pillar of national development.
According to him, the President’s reforms, anchored on the belief that innovation is the new oil, have redefined Nigeria’s development architecture and placed the country firmly on the path to a knowledge-driven economy powered by intellectual capital and technological advancement.
Organised by NBTI in partnership with UK-based consultancy firm UKALD, NEXTGEN 2026 is designed to connect Nigerian innovators with global investors, development finance institutions, governments, multilateral agencies and private sector partners.
Innovation boot camps will commence in Abuja, while the grand finale is scheduled for October 2026 at the ExCeL London in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Raji explained that the programme is structured to move innovators “from laboratories to livelihoods, from prototypes to products, and from ideas to commercial success.”
As part of Nigeria’s expanding innovation diplomacy footprint, the challenge will feature international editions in Doha, Qatar, targeting Middle East investors and sovereign wealth funds, and in London, United Kingdom, which will serve as the global flagship showcase. The expansion is expected to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with international capital markets and strategic technology partners.
Dr. Raji further disclosed that the NEXTGEN Innovation Challenge 2026 will prioritise high-impact sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced semiconductors, telecommunications with 6G and AI integration, green and renewable energy, climate resilience and flood detection systems, agri-tech, health-tech, edu-tech, women in tech and gender-inclusive innovation, as well as virtual reality and 3D manufacturing.
He noted that these sectors align with Nigeria’s national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
NBTI also revealed that the initiative will deepen collaboration with global institutions including the Cambridge Centre of Alternative Finance, and the Commonwealth Investment Network.
The programme is structured to unlock climate finance, attract Foreign Direct Investment and scale environmentally sustainable innovations.
Describing NEXTGEN as a matured global platform, Dr. Raji said the initiative is designed to scale ideas, unlock capital and deliver measurable economic impact.
He urged Nigerian universities to prioritise the commercialisation of research, encouraged investors to provide structured capital to startups, and challenged young Nigerians to view their ideas as strategic national assets capable of transforming the country’s economic future.
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