Nigeria has secured a $12.1 million grant from Japan to establish a state-of-the-art startup hub in the heart of its administrative capital, Abuja. This ambitious initiative, set to run from April 2025 to December 2030, aims to make Abuja a key center for tech innovation in Africa.
The agreement, formalized in a signing ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, was announced by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The grant, provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will be managed jointly by NITDA and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
This move is a cornerstone of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at stimulating digital innovation, attracting private investment, and creating job opportunities, with the potential to nurture Nigeria’s next tech unicorns.
The partnership builds on a successful collaboration between NITDA and JICA, which previously launched the iHatch startup incubator. Launched last year, iHatch has already generated 117 direct jobs and 370 indirect jobs, with plans to expand the initiative across Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja. According to NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa, the incubator leverages JICA’s resources and expertise to help Nigerian startups develop market-ready products.
“This initiative is not just about creating jobs but also about laying the groundwork for Nigeria’s future in the tech space,” said Inuwa. “By scaling across the nation, we aim to empower startups and accelerate the country’s digital economy.”
This new startup hub in Abuja marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s push towards becoming a leading player in the global technology arena.
