The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched Xceler8, a new accelerator programme designed to help Nigerian innovators turn commercially viable products into businesses that can attract investment and scale.
The three-month virtual programme will select 25 innovators from across Nigeria. Each participant will receive up to $25,000 in support, alongside mentorship, hands-on product development assistance, business training and direct access to investors.
The programme was announced at a media event hosted by the NASENI Innovation Hub in Abuja.
For NASENI, the accelerator is aimed at addressing one of the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem: the difficulty of moving promising technologies from development to the market.
NASENI wants to close the gap between innovation and the market
NASENI Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Suleiman Halilu said Nigeria has no shortage of scientific and engineering talent, but many innovators struggle to commercialise what they build.
“Nigeria has many brilliant engineers and scientists, but there is a gap between the laboratory and the market,” Halilu said.
That gap is particularly important for startups developing physical products or technologies that require more than an idea and a pitch deck to reach customers.
Unlike programmes focused primarily on early-stage ideas, Xceler8 is targeting founders who already have something in the market and are looking to take the next step.
Busola Beckley Perez-Folayan, Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, said the programme is intended for founders who have progressed beyond the idea stage.
“We want applicants who are actively engaged in commercial activities and have clear goals to achieve by the end of the program,” she…
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