The Japanese government has committed $10.4 million to support Nigeria’s technology and startup ecosystem through the development of the Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja, an initiative expected to provide young innovators with the infrastructure and resources to transform ideas into viable businesses.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, laid the foundation stone for the facility, which is being developed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
At the ceremony, the First Lady urged NITDA to ensure that the facility would be accessible to young Nigerians regardless of their geographical location or background, stressing that its benefits should extend beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
She described the project as an investment in technological advancement, youth empowerment and digital inclusion, expressing confidence that it would create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions and compete in international markets.
Mrs Tinubu challenged aspiring entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the opportunities the hub would offer, describing it as a platform where ideas could be transformed into practical solutions and competitive businesses.
“You can arrive here with a sketch and leave with a working prototype that takes you into the global market space,” she said.
She commended the Government of Japan, through JICA, for providing the strategic grant, noting that the partnership reflected a shared belief in the potential of Nigeria’s digital economy and its youthful population.
The First Lady also praised NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and his team for securing the partnership, linking the establishment of innovation hubs across the country to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to her, the agenda prioritises youth empowerment through entrepreneurship, skills development and sustainable job creation, equipping young Nigerians to compete and thrive in the global economy.
She said the Renewed Hope Startup Hub would serve as a national centre for incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration, providing innovators with facilities to develop and test ideas, build prototypes and explore opportunities for commercialising their products and services.
Mrs Tinubu further urged stakeholders to ensure that the project delivered tangible benefits to young Nigerians, emphasising that the hub must become more than a physical structure by offering practical support for innovation, business development and global competitiveness.
She described Japan’s contribution as evidence that genuine friendship between nations could be measured by the opportunities created for younger generations and expressed hope that the initiative would advance the progress, empowerment and prosperity of Nigerian youths.
Earlier, Abdullahi said the project was designed to go beyond providing physical infrastructure by creating an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop ideas into viable businesses and solutions.
He said the initiative aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on economic diversification through digitalisation and innovation while expanding citizens’ participation in national development.
“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.
“We are investing in our people, the ingenuity of our people, particularly our young people, whose creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial ambition are our greatest asset as a nation,” Abdullahi declared.
The NITDA chief highlighted the achievements of the agency’s subsidiaries, the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), in supporting startups and strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem.
He disclosed that ONDI’s initiatives had supported more than 995 startups and contributed to the creation of 7,596 jobs, while 300 companies had received training through a digital export acceleration programme over the past three years.
Abdullahi also highlighted the expansion of the iHatch programme, jointly developed by NITDA and JICA through ONDI in 2023. He said 333 startups had been trained across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2025 and early 2026, alongside 74 hub managers.
According to him, the expansion reflects the importance of making entrepreneurial support more accessible to young people seeking to establish and grow technology businesses across the country.
He further cited other NITDA-JICA initiatives, including We Elevate and IgniteHatch, which are specifically designed to support women entrepreneurs. Through the programmes, 224 women-owned enterprises had received training, 12 founders had been sponsored to Japan, and one beneficiary had secured a grant worth $500,000.
To broaden access to innovation opportunities, Abdullahi announced that NITDA was working towards ensuring that every state had at least two functional innovation hubs where young entrepreneurs could access incubation programmes and develop market-ready products and services.
He also disclosed that JICA was working with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to establish a $50 million seed-funding facility for startups.
The proposed facility, he said, would help strengthen entrepreneurship, generate employment in the digital economy and expand opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Expressing appreciation to the First Lady for laying the foundation stone, Abdullahi said the hub would provide young Nigerians with access to the technology, infrastructure and support needed to take home-grown solutions to international markets.
He reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with JICA and the Japanese government to create more opportunities for Nigerian innovators.
Also speaking, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hideo Suzuki, said the project reflected more than six decades of cordial relations between both countries, with their 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.
“This hub will provide entrepreneurs with the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment needed to transform raw ideas into viable businesses. It will serve as a sanctuary for innovation, a dynamic space equipped with digital fabrication tools, and collaborative areas where entrepreneurs can turn their dreams into reality, connect with global partners and drive Nigeria’s economic diversification,” he said.
The ambassador said Japan’s approach was focused on nurturing businesses over the long term rather than pursuing quick financial exits.
He added that the project aligned with Nigeria’s economic diversification and digital transformation objectives, as well as Japan’s broader ambition to promote industrial growth and strengthen economic ties across Africa.
The Renewed Hope Startup Hub represents a further step in Nigeria’s efforts to leverage international partnerships to expand access to technology, strengthen entrepreneurship and equip young people with the skills, infrastructure and resources needed to develop commercially viable innovations.
