By Nkechi Eze
Nigeria’s drive to expand its digital economy and empower young entrepreneurs received a boost as First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu laid the foundation stone for a $10.4 million digital innovation hub in Abuja, aimed at transforming local ideas into viable businesses and globally competitive products.
The Renewed Hope Startup Hub is being funded through a grant from the Government of Japan, facilitated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony, Mrs Tinubu described the project as a landmark investment in technological advancement, youth empowerment and digital inclusion, urging young Nigerians to maximise the opportunities the facility would provide.
She said the hub would offer a platform for young innovators to develop their ideas, build prototypes and turn their ambitions into sustainable businesses capable of competing in international markets.
“You can arrive here with a sketch and leave with a working prototype that takes you into the global market space,” the First Lady said.
She commended the Japanese government and JICA for providing the grant, noting that the partnership reflected a shared commitment to unlocking the potential of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and its youthful population.
Mrs Tinubu also praised the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and his team for securing the partnership, saying the initiative aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on entrepreneurship, skills development and sustainable job creation.
According to her, the facility would serve as a national centre for incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration, providing young Nigerians with the resources to develop and test innovative solutions.
She, however, charged NITDA to ensure that the hub would be accessible to young people regardless of their location or background when completed, stressing that the benefits must extend beyond Abuja to aspiring entrepreneurs across the country.
The First Lady called on stakeholders to ensure that the project delivered practical benefits by helping young innovators develop their ideas, establish businesses and access opportunities in the global marketplace.
Earlier, Abdullahi said the project went beyond providing physical infrastructure, describing it as an investment in the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of Nigerian youths.
“Today, we are laying the foundation, not just for an innovation hub, but for new enterprises, new opportunities, new partnerships, and a future where our youth ideas can be turned and used to solve our national problems and global challenges,” he said.
The NITDA director-general said the agency was pursuing initiatives to expand access to digital innovation, strengthen entrepreneurship and support the creation of technology-driven businesses as part of efforts to diversify the Nigerian economy.
He disclosed that initiatives implemented through NITDA’s Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) had supported more than 995 startups and contributed to the creation of 7,596 jobs.
He added that 300 companies had received training through a digital export acceleration programme over the past three years.
Abdullahi also highlighted the iHatch programme, jointly developed by NITDA and JICA through ONDI in 2023, saying 333 startups had been trained across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2025 and early 2026. The programme also provided training for 74 hub managers.
He further disclosed that NITDA-JICA initiatives, including We Elevate and IgniteHatch, had supported women entrepreneurs, with 224 women-owned enterprises receiving training. Twelve founders had also been sponsored to Japan, while one beneficiary secured a $500,000 grant.
To broaden access to digital innovation infrastructure, Abdullahi announced that NITDA was working towards ensuring that every state in the country had at least two functional innovation hubs where entrepreneurs could access incubation programmes and develop market-ready products and services.
He also revealed that JICA was working with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to establish a $50 million seed-funding facility for startups, which is expected to strengthen entrepreneurship, create jobs in the digital economy and expand opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Also speaking, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, said the project reflected more than six decades of cordial relations between Nigeria and Japan, with bilateral cooperation increasingly focused on technology, innovation and human capital development.
Suzuki explained that Japan’s support for Nigeria’s startup ecosystem rested on three pillars: strengthening policies and institutions, supporting early-stage investment and providing infrastructure through the Renewed Hope Startup Hub.
He said the facility would provide entrepreneurs with modern equipment, digital fabrication tools and collaborative spaces to transform ideas into viable businesses, connect with international partners and contribute to Nigeria’s economic diversification.
The ambassador added that Japan’s approach was focused on nurturing businesses over the long term, noting that the project aligned with Nigeria’s digital transformation goals and Japan’s broader ambition to promote industrial growth and stronger economic ties across Africa.
The establishment of the Renewed Hope Startup Hub represents a step towards expanding access to technology, strengthening Nigeria’s startup ecosystem and equipping young entrepreneurs with the infrastructure and support needed to develop home-grown solutions for local and international markets.
