By Stella Odueme
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has laid the foundation stone for the Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja, a $10.4 million project funded by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The facility is designed to support young Nigerian innovators through technology incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration.
Speaking at the ceremony, the First Lady urged young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities the hub would provide, describing it as a platform for transforming innovative ideas into viable businesses capable of competing in international markets.
She said the facility would enable young Nigerians to develop their ideas into practical solutions, build prototypes and establish businesses that could contribute to national development.
“You can arrive here with a sketch and leave with a working prototype that takes you into the global market space,” she said in a statement by the Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations of NITDA, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, on Friday.
Mrs Tinubu commended the Japanese government and JICA for supporting the project, noting that the partnership demonstrated a shared commitment to harnessing Nigeria’s digital potential and empowering its youthful population.
She also praised NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and his team for facilitating the partnership, adding that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in youth empowerment, skills development, entrepreneurship and job creation.
The First Lady urged NITDA to ensure that the facility would be accessible to young people across the country, irrespective of their geographical location or background.
She stressed that the benefits of the hub should extend beyond Abuja, enabling aspiring entrepreneurs from different parts of Nigeria to participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
Earlier, Abdullahi said the project was intended to create opportunities for young Nigerians to transform their ideas into businesses and develop technology-driven solutions to local and global challenges.
He described the foundation-laying ceremony as the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship and economic diversification through digital technology.
“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 chief executive said the agency was investing in the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of young Nigerians to expand their participation in the digital economy.
Providing an update on the agency’s innovation programmes, Abdullahi disclosed that initiatives implemented through the 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.
According to him, the iHatch programme, jointly developed by NITDA and JICA through ONDI in 2023, trained 333 startups across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2025 and early 2026. The programme also provided training for 74 innovation hub managers.
Abdullahi further highlighted the We Elevate and IgniteHatch initiatives, which support women entrepreneurs. He said 224 women-owned businesses had benefited from the programmes, with 12 founders sponsored to Japan and one beneficiary securing a $500,000 grant.
To expand access to innovation infrastructure, the NITDA director-general announced plans to ensure that every state in the country has at least two functional innovation hubs where entrepreneurs can access incubation programmes and develop market-ready products and services.
He also disclosed that JICA was collaborating with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to establish a $50 million seed-funding facility for startups.
The proposed facility is expected to improve access to early-stage capital, support entrepreneurship and create additional employment opportunities in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Abdullahi reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with JICA and the Japanese government to equip young innovators with the resources needed to develop home-grown solutions for international markets.
Also speaking, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, said the project reflected more than six decades of diplomatic relations between both countries, with growing cooperation in technology, innovation and human capital development.
He explained that Japan’s support for Nigeria’s startup ecosystem focused on strengthening policies and institutions, promoting early-stage investment and providing infrastructure through the Renewed Hope Startup Hub.
Suzuki said the facility would provide modern equipment and collaborative spaces to enable entrepreneurs to transform ideas into commercially viable businesses, connect with international partners and contribute to Nigeria’s economic diversification.
He added that Japan’s approach was aimed at supporting businesses over the long term, while strengthening industrial development and economic cooperation between Japan and African countries.
The Renewed Hope Startup Hub is expected to provide Nigerian entrepreneurs with access to technology infrastructure, business support and international partnerships, with the aim of accelerating innovation, expanding employment opportunities and strengthening the country’s digital economy.