The National Board for Technology Incubation has unveiled an investment and development-finance pipeline exceeding $600m, alongside a proposed solar energy programme targeting one million micro and small businesses across Nigeria.

The Director-General of NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the outcomes of the 2026 NextGen Innovation Challenge at a world press conference in Abuja.

Raji said the investment pipeline comprised a proposed $500m solar energy programme for universities and polytechnics, to be developed in partnership with Gigawatt Global, and a $100m financing opportunity linked to the Tinubu Light Initiative under a memorandum of understanding with Financial Innovation for Impact, UK, also known as Cambridge Investors.

He, however, clarified that the funds had not been fully secured or disbursed, stressing that their realisation would depend on due diligence, financing arrangements, contractual commitments, regulatory approvals and implementation requirements.

“These figures represent proposed investment and financing opportunities and should not be interpreted as $600m already received, disbursed or fully deployed in Nigeria,” he said.

The proposed investments emerged from the grand finale of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026, organised by NBTI in partnership with UKALD at the Platinum Suite, ExCeL London, United Kingdom, on October 9.

According to Raji, the initiative was designed to connect Nigerian innovators with international investors, business leaders and development partners to accelerate the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

He said the challenge attracted 298 Nigerian innovators from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, up from 105 participants in 2025.

The innovations showcased covered artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, healthcare, education, renewable energy, telecommunications, digital technology, enterprise software, 3D printing and advanced manufacturing.

“Our message is straightforward: Nigeria’s innovators deserve visibility, our enterprises deserve opportunities to grow, and our technologies deserve pathways to the marketplace,” Raji said.

He added that NBTI’s priority was to move beyond showcasing ideas to helping innovators develop commercially viable products, establish sustainable businesses and create jobs.

The proposed Tinubu Light Initiative is expected to support one million micro and small businesses through access to solar energy solutions, with a proposed target of training and deploying 10,000 field marketers and creating 50,000 direct youth employment opportunities.

The initiative also targets ₦30bn in blended financing for its first phase and estimates annual economic benefits of about ₦12bn, subject to its underlying assumptions and implementation outcomes.

Raji said the programme was conceived to address the energy challenges facing small businesses, including high operating costs associated with unreliable electricity and dependence on petrol and diesel generators.

Tailors, barbers, hairdressers, pharmacies, food vendors, neighbourhood retailers, printing businesses and digital-service providers are among the potential beneficiaries.

He said the initiative also envisaged opportunities to promote business formalisation and financial inclusion, particularly among informal enterprises, where appropriate arrangements could be established.

However, the NBTI director-general acknowledged that the programme’s success would depend on sound financing, transparent beneficiary selection, reliable equipment, maintenance arrangements and measurable delivery.

“Our vision is to make clean-energy access an enabler of enterprise development, not merely an infrastructure intervention,” he said.

The proposed initiative comes amid efforts to expand electricity access through distributed renewable energy in Nigeria.

The World Bank has reported that off-grid solar and mini-grid investments have helped extend electricity access to millions of Nigerians, while supporting small businesses and employment.

Its Nigeria Electrification Project supported the deployment of mini-grids and solar home systems, demonstrating the role of private-sector investment in addressing energy access gaps.

Beyond the proposed clean-energy investments, Raji announced an investment commitment of $100,000 by Dubai-based investor Erin Grover to support three women innovators.