FG moves to reshape Nigeria’s 339 innovation hubs with new framework

The Federal Government, led by NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa, is crafting a National Innovation Hub Standards Framework to standardize innovation hubs nationwide and bolster their abilities to support startups, entrepreneurs, and technology-focused businesses. Currently, more than 339 innovation hubs are spread across Nigeria, with a significant concentration in Lagos, Abuja, and ten other states.

This framework aims to provide a structured approach for hubs to assess their capabilities, pinpoint weaknesses, and enhance their maturity levels, as the government seeks to broaden Nigeria's innovation ecosystem beyond the major urban centers. The framework isn't prescriptive; instead, it acts as a guide for hubs to evaluate their current status, identify areas for improvement, and determine necessary actions to boost their operations and services.

Inuwa highlighted that the framework comprises seven key dimensions and approximately 35 assessment categories, enabling hubs to gauge their development levels. Some hubs operating outside the designated innovation hubs are primarily serving as training centers and would benefit from further support to evolve into comprehensive innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship centers.

The proposed framework emphasizes tailoring innovation ecosystems to the unique strengths, challenges, and economic opportunities of each community, allowing localities to create solutions relevant to their specific contexts. Inuwa stressed the necessity of private sector involvement in financing startup growth, as government funding alone is insufficient.

NITDA is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital skills into formal education, aiming to produce graduates capable of thriving in the digital economy. The initiative echoes the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub's Nigeria Innovation Cluster Exchange (NICE), a program that fosters collaboration across Nigeria's fragmented innovation ecosystem, funded by the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme.

Despite the rapid growth of Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, many incubators, accelerators, research centers, and hubs continue to function independently, leading to duplications and limited support for startups. The NICE initiative seeks to connect various stakeholders into a unified national innovation network, addressing the prevalent issue of overlapping efforts and inadequate support for emerging businesses.