Japan has committed $10.4 million through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to expand Nigeria’s innovation infrastructure, beginning with the construction of the Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, laid the foundation stone for the hub in Wuye, Abuja, on October 23, according to the state-owned Voice of Nigeria.
The project, implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), will provide incubation space, mentorship, research facilities, digital fabrication equipment and links to international partners. The facility is intended to help young entrepreneurs turn ideas into commercially viable products and services.
First Lady Tinubu urged NITDA to ensure the facility is accessible to young people regardless of where they live or their background. She said the hub should deliver practical opportunities for innovators to build prototypes, establish businesses and access international markets, rather than serving only as a physical building.
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said the Japanese grant would support the expansion of innovation hubs nationwide, and also announced that JICA and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) are developing a separate $50 million seed-funding facility for startups, aimed at improving access to early-stage capital and creating digital-economy jobs.
Abdullahi said the aim is to extend incubation and business-development support beyond established technology centers such as Lagos and Abuja.
In turn, Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, said the country’s support rests on three pillars: stronger policies and institutions, early-stage investment, and innovation infrastructure.
He added that the Abuja hub would give entrepreneurs access to modern equipment and collaborative spaces needed to develop prototypes and connect with global markets.
JICA Nigeria Office Chief Representative Ishigame Keiji added that the hub would particularly support manufacturing-oriented startups by encouraging cooperation among government, academia, industry and entrepreneurs.
Existing NITDA-JICA programs have already reached a wide group of entrepreneurs. The iHatch program, launched through NITDA’s Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation in 2023, trained 333 startups across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2025 and early 2026, along with 74 innovation hub managers.
NITDA also reported that its innovation initiatives have supported more than 995 startups and created 7,596 jobs over three years. In addition, 300 companies received training under a digital export acceleration program, while women-focused initiatives trained 224 women-owned enterprises and sponsored 12 founders to Japan.
Once completed, the Renewed Hope Startup Hub is expected to operate as a national center for startup incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration. Its digital fabrication facilities and shared workspaces are designed to help founders test physical and software-based products before bringing them to market.
The project builds on an about $12.1 million JICA grant secured by NITDA in April 2025 for the Abuja startup hub, and aligns with the implementation of Nigeria’s Startup Act.
