Reaffirms agency’s commitment to collaboration, as key to STI Commercialization in Africa.
The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) development in Nigeria through strategic partnerships, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship support, and innovation-driven industrial growth.
Dr. Raji gave the assurance when he received members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation (STICONF 2026) during a courtesy visit to the agency in Abuja.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of the IMC and LOC, Dr. Victor Fadipe, and the Co-Chairman of the IMC as well as Founder of the Welcome to Nigeria Development Initiative (WeNDI), Mr. Isa Yusuf Sago. Other members of the delegation included Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Bununu, Dr. Chitu Womehoma Princewill, and Dr. Joy Oladimeji-Salami.
The delegation expressed profound appreciation to the Director General and the management staff of NBTI for the warm reception and continued commitment toward advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial development in Nigeria.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Victor Fadipe highlighted the vision and strategic objectives of STICONF 2026, describing the conference as a critical platform designed to deepen conversations around Science, Technology and Innovation, promote commercialization of research outputs, strengthen collaboration among stakeholders, and accelerate sustainable economic development across Africa.
He noted that the National Board for Technology Incubation remains one of the most important institutions to the success of STICONF 2026 because of its statutory responsibility in technology incubation, innovation support, enterprise development, and commercialization of indigenous technologies in Nigeria.
According to him, research and development outcomes can only become meaningful when they are transformed into practical solutions capable of addressing societal challenges, creating jobs, improving productivity, and meeting the needs of industries and the wider economy.
Dr. Fadipe stated that the visit was informed by the committee’s deep conviction in the success stories already recorded by the current leadership of NBTI, particularly in harnessing STI talents, nurturing innovative ideas, supporting start-ups, and creating pathways for innovators and entrepreneurs to scale their products and services for national development.
He further stressed that STICONF 2026 seeks to bridge the gap between academia, research institutions, industry players, policymakers, investors, and innovators, thereby creating opportunities for strategic partnerships capable of driving industrialization and economic competitiveness in Nigeria and Africa.
Also speaking, the Co-Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Founder of the Welcome to Nigeria Development Initiative (WeNDI), Mr. Isa Yusuf Sago, commended Dr. Raji for his visionary leadership, clear goals, and practical action plans toward advancing technology commercialization and innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Mr. Sago stated that the active participation and support of NBTI for STICONF 2026 would undoubtedly be a win-win partnership considering the agency’s recent achievements and strategic interventions aimed at promoting domestic innovations, empowering technology entrepreneurs, supporting incubation centres, and encouraging local manufacturing and value addition.
He noted that the Inter-Ministerial Committee’s continuous engagement with critical institutions and stakeholders within the STI ecosystem underscores the importance of strategic collaboration in driving broader participation and ownership of STICONF 2026.
According to him, strengthening partnerships and shared commitments among institutions within the Science, Technology and Innovation sector would significantly expand opportunities for knowledge exchange, innovation showcases, investment linkages, technology transfer, mentorship, and networking among participants at the conference.
Mr. Sago added that collaboration with NBTI would further position STICONF 2026 as a major continental platform for advancing Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa while also promoting Nigeria as a leading destination for innovation, enterprise development, and technology-driven economic transformation.
Responding, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, appreciated the committee for considering it necessary to visit the agency and identify NBTI as a strategic partner in the success of STICONF 2026.
He emphasized that Science, Technology and Innovation remain central to Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda, noting that no nation can attain sustainable development without investing in innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and industrial capacity development.
Dr. Raji stated that collaboration among institutions, government agencies, academia, development partners, innovators, and the private sector is essential for the STI sector to contribute meaningfully to national growth and economic diversification.
The DG highlighted several intervention programmes and initiatives of NBTI aimed at promoting innovation commercialization, enterprise incubation, job creation, youth empowerment, and support for indigenous technologies. He explained that the Board has continued to provide incubation platforms for innovators and start-ups across various sectors including agriculture, ICT, renewable energy, manufacturing, biotechnology, creative industries, and engineering solutions.
He further explained that through its incubation centres and technology parks across the country, NBTI has continued to nurture innovative ideas from conception to commercialization by providing mentorship, business advisory services, technical support, market access opportunities, and enterprise development programmes that help innovators transform ideas into viable businesses.
According to Dr. Raji, the successes recorded by the agency over the years demonstrate the importance of sustained support for STI-driven initiatives and the need for stronger institutional collaboration to scale innovation outcomes for national development.
He stated that STICONF 2026 presents a unique and strategic opportunity for NBTI to showcase the achievements of Nigerian innovators, promote indigenous technologies, connect entrepreneurs with investors and development partners, and deepen conversations around commercialization of research outcomes and industrial competitiveness.
The NBTI boss added that the conference would also provide an avenue for young innovators, researchers, technology entrepreneurs, and incubation centres to interact with policymakers, industry leaders, international stakeholders, and funding institutions capable of supporting the growth of innovation ecosystems in Nigeria and across Africa.
Dr. Raji reaffirmed the willingness of the National Board for Technology Incubation to collaborate with the Inter-Ministerial Committee to ensure the success of STICONF 2026, stressing that the conference aligns strongly with the agency’s mandate of promoting technology incubation, innovation commercialization, and entrepreneurship development for national prosperity.
He expressed confidence that STICONF 2026 would serve as a transformative platform for advancing STI discourse, strengthening institutional partnerships, promoting African innovations, and accelerating technology-driven economic growth on the continent.
