The Federal Government has announced plans to support inventors, start-ups, and small-scale manufacturers across Nigeria by establishing a National Design and Development Agency.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday during a visit to Innov8 Hub in Abuja, reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to fostering a climate that enables innovation.
Alausa observed that despite Nigeria’s vast pool of talented and creative individuals, many struggle to commercialise their ideas.
He stated that the proposed agency would help innovators refine their concepts, secure financing, and gain market access.
“There are so many innovative Nigerians. Our job as government is to meet you halfway and give you the opportunity you need to unleash that potential,” he said. “We want to move ideas from the bank of concepts to the market.”
He explained that the agency would support community-driven funding mechanisms, enabling local innovators to pitch their ideas for support.
While noting that only a small percentage of innovations become commercially viable, he stressed the transformative potential of even a few success stories.
“Five to ten per cent of ideas, when brought to life, can change millions of lives. What you’re doing here is even more important—you’re focusing on real-life solutions we urgently need,” he added.
Alausa also advised innovators to patent their work, emphasising the need for intellectual property protection and market preparedness.
“You need to aggressively move these products to the market; there are unlimited opportunities in Nigeria waiting to be tapped,” he said.
He commended Innov8 Hub for its achievements in agricultural processing and small-scale manufacturing, and called for closer collaboration among innovators, manufacturers, and financiers to ensure broader market reach.
Earlier, Dr Deji Ige, Deputy General Manager at Innov8 Hub, said the hub had completed five years of transforming Nigeria’s innovation space. He reported that the organisation had grown to 15 departments and facilitated the creation of 7,000 jobs nationwide.
He added that the hub, which began with a team of 100, has incubated several start-ups, four of which are currently operating from its facility and poised to create more employment opportunities.
(NAN)